Where We Belong
by Viktoryus
Summary: Emma Swan leaves NYC in search of a new beginning. Regina Mills is a restaurant/bar owner that uses work to avoid having to deal with her broken heart. Both women are completely unaware of what they truly want or need. A story about friendship and heartache, and how one finds the courage to move on. Story is mine but characters are not. Swanqueen. AU. COMPLETE.
1. One - Seattle

It has been a terribly long week for Emma already and it is only Wednesday. As she limps towards the parking garage to fetch her car, she replays the events of the last several weeks in her mind.

She had just recently moved to Seattle from New York City which was a place that she had spent most of her adult life. She cannot pinpoint the exact moment she realized she had outgrown it, but she knew if she stayed there for much longer that it would start to feel more and more suffocating. In Emma's mind, leaving to find a place somewhere else to start over was a perfectly sound decision and because she had never felt any attachment to The Big Apple, it was not a very difficult decision to make.

Ruby, who is Emma's one and only close friend, could not be convinced at all that this idea was a good one so she refused to help with any travel arrangements or the packing. It takes about a day and a half for Emma to notice as she was packing her things up into boxes, Ruby was stealthily unpacking the boxes she has already finished. Luckily, Emma's lack of emotional attachments meant that she had very little to pack in the first place and she was able to fit everything that she wanted to take with her in four good-sized boxes.

She remembers on her last morning in New York, she and Ruby decided to have breakfast together at their favorite coffee shop. It was a very nice Spring day so they opted to sit outside on the small patio which also gave Emma the chance to take in the sights and sounds of the city one last time.

As they both reached for the last bite of an order of French toast they were sharing, Ruby quickly pulled the plate towards herself playfully. The quick motion caused Emma to react instinctively by reaching out further nearly knocking over the two glasses of water on the table.

"Hey! You could at least let me have the last bite just this once seeing that I won't be back here for a while." Emma says, a hint of irritation in her voice.

Ruby considers the plea and eventually pushes the plate back towards her friend.

Emma smiles triumphantly and reaches her fork out again but just as she is about to grab the last piece of syrup-coated toast, Ruby seemed to have changed her mind and quickly stabbed it with her fork. Without pause or a second thought, she put it into her own mouth.

Emma balled up the napkin that she had in her hand and threw it at her best friend. "Rubes, you're such an asshole."

Ruby unfolded the napkin, wiped her mouth off with it, and grinned at Emma. "It's not my fault that you won't be back here for a while." Then she frowned. "You could just stay, you know."

Emma shook her head, "Rubes…I just…"

Ruby, however, does not let her finish the sentence, "Yeah, yeah, you just need something different. Or something more than this." In her frustration, she motioned upwards with both arms in air. "Whatever the hell that even means. I just wish that you could try looking a little bit harder for that here. There are plenty of eligible men and women in this city, Harp."

Emma was more than just a little irritated when she replied, "You know damned well that isn't what I mean. I'm not looking for a new relationship. I haven't gotten over the last one and anyway, a new love interest isn't going to magically make things right. It isn't going to make me feel like I belong here or that I should stay."

Ruby frowned. "I just don't understand! Especially if this isn't about Wes. You have such a good thing going for you here and I feel like you're throwing all of that away. You were doing so well. You finally found steady work and you just got your own place after ending that toxic thing you had going with him. I guess I just keep assuming that you did feel like you belonged here. You know that I certainly think you do."

Emma knew that Ruby was right. There had been moments that she felt like she could stay in this place forever. It took her a long time to find a stable job and even longer to find a peace she did not think was possible after her relationship ended. Wes turned out to be a man that constantly put his own needs above hers and it was so difficult to deal with towards the end. It made her cringe to think that she nearly accepted his marriage proposal. Where would she be now if she had? Stuck, no, trapped. And that was the last situation that Emma Swan ever wanted to put herself in. She sighed, "Rubes, I can't tell you why but I have to do this. I don't even think that I know why. But, even if I end up back here months from now, I need to know that I made an effort to change this feeling that I have."

Ruby knew that there was no talking her friend out of something she had already set her mind to. She had attempted to do so for weeks and they kept coming back to this same conclusion. "Emma Swan, you are such a stubborn asshole. Can you at least tell me that you know where you are going? Do you even have a destination in mind?"

Emma shrugged, "You know what, I think that I'm just going to wing it and drive until it feels right."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "What a very typical 'Emma' thing for you to do."

* * *

It took Emma over a week of driving to get to the Pacific Northwest. She made very few stops the entire trip, only really stopping to eat or sleep for the night, all the while still without a final destination in mind. Eventually, after a long day of driving through most of Montana, Idaho, and Eastern Washington, she decided to stop so that she could refuel both herself and the car. With little knowledge of the area she was in, she drove until she saw what looked to be a big Ferris wheel in the distance and decided that it would be a good place to stop for a bite to eat.

After what seemed like a lifetime of sitting at stoplights and looking for parking, she found an area to park her car and started walking towards the giant wheel. It was a bit after 8pm but it did not surprise her that the waterfront was still busy with people. It was a beautiful day and the sun was barely starting to set, illuminating the sky with a brilliant tangerine glow. She stopped in front of the giant wheel at a spot overlooking the water. She stood there and took in the sights of all the ferries and boats, the people all around her, and the mountains in the horizon. She sensed that there was a busyness that she definitely missed already about New York but also an entirely different energy that was so much more serene than what she was used to. It was just so beautiful. After some thought, she decided that she could stay in this place for a while. She could explore this new city, maybe find some odd jobs and just see where it takes her. When she left the East coast, she was in search of some place different and new so maybe this was just what she needed.

* * *

Emma has been in Seattle for five weeks now and she has not really settled in very much. She is staying at a hotel close to the city that is within walking distance to a lot of the prime spots. It is not the best place she has ever stayed at, but it definitely is not the worst either. She has no idea that Seattle is such a tourist destination but quickly learns that upon her arrival. The place she is staying at seems to lack vacancy most of the time so she is very grateful that they are allowing her to pay for two months in advance, ensuring that she will have a place to stay until she can find something more permanent, if that is what she decides to do. Also, her job situation has been crummy to say the least. She was able to find a staffing agency in downtown Seattle and they interviewed and tested her within her first few days in the city. Since then, they have been sending her to work very random gigs all over the city. She has worked for the cruise lines checking passports, at the football stadium and baseball field checking bags and tickets, and has even worked security on the floor for some large concerts and corporate events.

Just yesterday, Emma started a new assignment at the Key Arena for an international video game competition, some online game she has never heard of. Apparently, there are kids from all over the world that have come to Seattle to compete for some ridiculously large cash prize. It is a very interesting job albeit not very dynamic,but she has yet to find anything more permanent. She supposes that the pay is alright because she undoubtedly could be making less and working harder. She has learned over the years that as long as she was willing to work, there will always be money to be made and jobs available.

Emma notes that her shift today was more than twelve hours long and she was given just one break to eat. After standing on the hard concrete floor of the arena all day long, her feet are in excruciating pain. It surprises her because she considers herself in pretty good shape and is no stranger to working long hours. Standing around for a long day hardly seems like it would be something that would cause her so much grief, but currently, as far as her poor feet were concerned, she feels utterly defeated.

When Emma finally makes her way to the parking garage, she notices a piece of paper taped to the outside of the elevator doors. Broken. Use Stairs. "Fuck. I'm parked on five." Feeling beaten and clearly without any other options, she makes her way over to the staircase that is located by the entrance of the garage and situates herself on the bottom step. This instantly relieves most of the pain in her legs as the weight is lifted off of her feet. She realizes that walking all the way up five floors is going to take more effort than she has the energy for. Reaching for her phone that is in her back pocket, she checks the time. It is close to 11pm and she is both starving and exhausted. She hangs her head between her knees for a moment and takes a deep breath. She reminds herself that she is just five flights of stairs away from being on her way back to the hotel where there is a bed and at least a half-eaten chocolate chip muffin leftover from her breakfast this morning. She cannot decide which she wants more, but right now, they both sound like heaven.

"C'mon, Swan. You can do this." Emma says as she tries to encourage herself to get up off of the ground. As she looks up again, ready to push herself back up onto her feet, she notices a neon sign across the street on the corner opposite of where she is currently sitting. She cannot really make out what the sign says but there is a chalkboard sign standing up on the sidewalk a few feet from the door that makes her think that it is most likely a restaurant or bar. She perks up immediately and pushes herself up off of the step. Pain shoots up one of her legs causing her to lose her balance for a second. After steadying herself, she makes her way out of the parking garage and limps her way across the street. As she nears the neon sign that first caught her eye, she can finally make out what it says. Regina' on the chalkboard directly below that, it says: Regina's, Open Until Late, Homemade Burgers, Full Bar, Local Beer on Tap, Live Music. As she reads the part about the burgers, her stomach rumbles obnoxiously. She thinks to herself that this is going to be far better than attempting five flights of stairs, so she pulls the door open and steps inside.


	2. Two - Regina's

***Author's Note: While I am not a fan of Killian Jones/Captain Hook from the show, I am a fan of Colin O'Donahue. That being said, I really like the idea of Killian and Regina being good friends and have incorporated that into my story. Thank you for reading! And please let me know what you think!***

Emma's first thought as she walks into Regina's is that it is much bigger on the inside than it looks from the street. It is currently not very busy and she can hear the music playing softly from a vintage jukebox that is right next to the front door. She looks around some more, taking in her surroundings. Just left of the bar, there is a raised platform stage where a microphone is standing but is without a musician or band, which is not a surprise since it is the middle of the week. She recognizes a contraption on the far side of the stage that has a monitor connected to it, and a large flyer on the wall behind it advertising Thursday's Karaoke Night confirms her hunch. She thinks that maybe she should stop in tomorrow and watch people sing because it might be entertaining and would give her something to do besides just holing up in her hotel room. She also sees that there is a space in front of the stage without any tables or chairs and thinks that it is probably a dance floor when the appropriate music is playing. In the far corner there are two arm chairs and a loveseat right by a large bookcase full of books and she knows that she has found a place to read on her days off.

Turning towards the bar, Emma expects to see waitstaff or a bartender but no one is there. On the other side of the bar, opposite the stage, there is a billiards table. A couple of girls who look like they could be models, but at the same time look too young to be hanging out at a bar, are playing a game of pool. One of the girls, the brunette one, is wearing a skirt that is borderline too short and a very tight top that accentuates both her midriff and her chest. The girls receive smiles and hollers from a table of guys to Emma's right which makes both of them giggle with pride. This makes Emma feel slightly uncomfortable but mostly because she is currently in slacks with a white button-up top, a requirement of the staffing agency for all of their employees, while everyone else in the bar is dressed very casually. She tenses up a bit but decides that she can always just order something to take with her if she does not shake the uneasiness after she has had a drink.

Overall, the place seems really nice. On the spectrum of dive bars versus the classy joints that are too pricey for no apparent reason other than a likely dress code and swanky glassware, this fits closer to the former and yet there is a homey look about it. She likes that there are no televisions mounted anywhere except for a small one behind the bar. Sports bars tend to get a little too rowdy and she would easily choose good music or live bands over a sports game any day of the week. This could become her regular haunt for sure, but she can think about all of that at a later time. Right now, what she truly needs this very moment is to find a chair so that she can sit down. After checking the scene again, she opts for the bar and walks as gently as she can towards it.

Emma is painfully positioning herself onto the barstool when she hears, "You alright there, Miss? That really shouldn't be as difficult as you're making it look."

Surprised by the man's sudden presence, Emma nearly loses her balance on the swiveling chair. He is clearly amused by the smirk on his face and she feels her cheeks get warm with embarrassment. She laughs it off though and replies softly, "I'm usually a lot more graceful. I've just had a very long day." Then she takes a second to study him. He is a very handsome man and she thinks that his foreign accent probably wins him the affection of all the ladies. It is Irish, maybe. When she realizes that she is staring, she clears her throat and says, "I think that I could really use a drink."

"Of course! That's what we're here for." He finishes drying the glass that he has in his hands, puts it into the cooler, and turns to grab a laminated card that is sitting on the counter behind him sliding it onto the bar top in front of Emma. "We have reverse happy hour that started at ten. Draft beers are five dollars, craft bottles four, domestic bottles two-fifty. The house special is a homemade red apple cider and it is superb." He says as he smiles at her.

Emma contemplates the cider but she needs to be back at the arena tomorrow morning by 9am for another twelve-hour shift and she knows that she will need to order a beverage with as little sugar as possible so that she does not wake up feeling miserable. So, she makes a mental note to come back to try the cider another time. "Actually, I think I need something stronger than that. I'll just take a bourbon. Neat. Do you have Maker's Mark?" She reaches for her phone in her back pocket and pulls her debit card and ID out from behind the case handing it to him.

"Absolutely. Coming right up." He takes the cards from Emma and takes a moment to look at the ID. Then he hands it back to her and turns to grab the bottle of Maker's. He pours Emma a little more than two fingers of bourbon and puts it down on the bar in front of her. "Did you want to start a tab Emma, or are you thinking just one and done?" He asks.

She sips her drink and remembers that she is still starving and will probably regret having the whiskey without any food in her system. Also, she really wants to try that burger that is advertised on the display out front. "You can leave it open. May I look at a menu?"

His face changes instantly, his look genuinely apologetic. "Crap, sorry, on weeknights we close our kitchen at 11pm."

Emma quickly looks down at her phone. "Shit." It is 11:11pm. Frustratingly, she catches her face in her hands and takes a deep breath. Had she just taken the stairs up to where she is parked, she could be having the half of a chocolate chip muffin right now which is much better than no food at all. She straightens and sighs, "You know what, that's fine. I'll actually just take my check, thank you." It comes out harsher than she intends but it seems too late to retract or even apologize for being so unpleasant.

The bartender frowns at Emma and contemplates his options. "Hmm, actually, hang tight for a second. Let me talk to the boss. I'm sure that we can work something out." Then he turns and disappears into the doorway behind the bar before she could stop him.

Now, on top of feeling like a petulant child for her reaction, Emma also feels a pang of guilt. She had served in restaurants and bars in the past and knows how irritating last minute and late guests can be. She really hates that she is being one of those people so she leans over the bar making sure that her voice could carry into the back room. "Hey, really, don't worry about it. I didn't mean to be so short with you just now. I'll be-"

Before she can finish what she is saying, he is back in view again. "It seems to be your lucky day. Cook's in a good mood today and says that we can take care of you before shutting everything down. So tell me, what would you like to eat?"

Emma feels heat on her cheeks again. "You really didn't have to do that. I feel really badly about this."

He ignores her comment. "Ah, let me grab you the menu." He walks out from behind the bar and towards the front door where there is a mirror on the wall. He pulls it open revealing a secret compartment with stacks of paper napkins as well as all the menus. He grabs one and walks it back to where Emma is standing, handing it over to her. "I feel obligated to tell you that everything is delicious but the burgers are exceptionally so. Homemade recipe, made with love." He wiggles his eyebrows at her and she cannot help but smile. He really is quite the charmer.

Without even looking at the menu, she hands it back to him."I'll definitely take the burger, with everything on it, cheese and no ketchup. And thank you again. Thank you so much. And please thank the cook for me."

He nods happily and disappears into the back once again. When he comes back, Emma is sitting with both hands around her glass and looks as if she is lost in her own thoughts. He speaks up awkwardly pulling her out of her reverie. "So, what brings you to Washington?" The confusion must have been evident on her face because he chuckles at Emma's expression and then explains, "Well, for one, most people aren't from here. Almost everyone is what they call a transplant. And two, you handed me a New York driver's license so it was easy to assume that you're not from here."

Emma considers this for a moment and is not really sure how much she is actually willing to divulge to this man, someone that she does not know at all. She is not good at opening up to people, even if it happens to be a handsome bartender that just scored her a late dinner. So, she shrugs nonchalantly. "I was actually just passing through and decided to stop for a little while. It's a beautiful city." She takes another drink, the alcohol burning her throat and her empty stomach. "And I assume that you're not from here either, unless you are going to try to convince me that your accent is Washingtonian. Also, you know my name, care to share yours?" It comes out more flirty than she is intends and she hopes that she does not give him the wrong impression.

He laughs at that. "It's Killian. And how observant of you. Most people don't notice the accent at all," he says sarcastically but in a playful tone. "And you're right. Seattle is a beautiful city. And the people are just as beautiful. I was only passing through as well, but that was about eight years ago now. Fell in love and didn't want to leave."

Before she can reply, one of the girls from the pool table is walking up to them. "Killian, we need more of those apple thingies. Can you please bring two more over?" It is the brunette that needs to put on more clothes and every word she says comes out in a whiny tone. She lifts herself up and leans over pressing herself onto the bar top. Emma just looks down at her glass and rolls her eyes. Once the girl sees that Killian has started her order, she walks back towards her friend who is now at the table of guys chatting with them.

As he is pouring the two drinks for the girls, Emma finishes hers. He takes the glass and puts it in the sink below. "Another one?"

Emma knows that she should really stop at one, so she declines. To continue the conversation that Killian started a moment ago, she asks, "So, you were passing through but stayed here because of the beautiful city? Or a beautiful face, maybe?" She feels like maybe she is being too nosey but he is the one that makes the implication so she can only assume that it is something that he is comfortable with talking about.

He looks thoughtful for a second before replying. "I suppose a bit of both. But that's a story for when I'm sitting on that side of the bar." He says as he points at the empty spot next to her.

Emma sees that he is doing that flirty eyebrow thing again which she deduces to be his signature charming move. "Alright, fair enough." She decides not to prod any further and asks for a glass of water instead. He brings it to her just as they hear a bell ring from the back. Killian is only gone for a moment and when he returns, he has her food. It smells so wonderful that when he places it down in front of her, she starts eating without any hesitation. Within minutes, she has devoured the whole thing and as she picks at the fries, she thinks about her long work day tomorrow. She wonders how she will possibly make it through another painful day of just standing. She considers just skipping the shift but hates to compromise her credibility with the agency. All in all, this is definitely not what she had imagined for herself when she first arrived in Seattle and it makes her feel disheartened.

Emma looks up and notices that Killian is not behind the bar anymore but turns to find him clearing off the tables. She had not noticed that everyone else has gone and she is now the only one left in the bar. She checks the time, it is a quarter til midnight. She is feeling full and extremely exhausted so when he is back behind the bar, she asks him for her check.

Killian closes her tab out and clears her plate. "So, what did you think? Good, right?"

"It was really delicious. Thanks again for making an exception for me tonight. Can you please give my compliments to the cook and tell them thank you again for me."

"Hmm...or you can meet her and tell her yourself…" Killian trails off as he pokes his head into the back. "Hey, Gigi!" But there is no answer because no one is there. "Damn, she's probably around back or something."

Emma smiles. "It's alright. It's my loss, I'm sure. Maybe I'll catch her next time. And I should get going anyway because I have another long day tomorrow." She barely manages to keep her smile at that thought. She thanks him again, for the fourth time that evening, and walks towards the front door. As she pushes on the door to leave, someone simultaneously pulls hard and quick from the outside causing both of them to tumble onto the sidewalk in a tangle of limbs. "Ah-OW! Son. Of. A. Bitch!" Emma curses. She also sees that the other woman is trying to push herself up so Emma tries to maneuver off of her and accidentally swings her elbow in the woman's direction instead. Falling backwards once again, the woman grunts in exasperation. Emma starts apologizing profusely, "Oh my god, I am so, so sorry." She does not think that the situation can get any worse and that is when she looks up to see Killian standing in the doorway.

He is trying not to laugh at them but is obviously tickled by the sight. "Well, it seems you do get to meet her after all. Emma, meet Regina. She's the owner of the bar."


	3. Three - Casanova

***Author's Note: This one is a short one but we get a bit of Regina. (: It will also set a premise to some of the things that Killian and Regina are going through even though I've kept it pretty vague for now. Let me know your thoughts!***

When the two of them are both back on their feet, Emma apologizes again. She is so incredibly embarrassed that she can barely look the other woman in the eyes.

Regina is not rude to but she is not exactly very pleasant either. "It's fine," she says to Emma but then immediately turns herself towards Killian. Regina pats herself down so that she can get all the dust off of her clothing and notices a sharp pain on her wrist from trying to catch herself on it just a moment ago. She moves it around in circles and rubs at it to make sure it is still working properly. "I'm going to go wash up. Could you bring in the sign and lock up?" She does not wait for Killian to reply before pulling open the door and going back inside without another glance back.

Emma folds her arms and stares after the woman, completely speechless. Before she can clearly assess what had just happened, she realizes that the adrenaline rush has passed and her body feels more aches than it had previously. She sighs.

Killian chuckles as he folds up the chalkboard sign, ready to carry it inside and walks over to Emma. He gently touches Emma's elbow, "Are you alright? That was quite the exit you made there." He smiles and because he senses that Emma may be feeling a bit confused by her interaction with his boss, he adds, "don't worry about Regina. It usually takes a bit for her to warm up to people."

"I'm alright," Emma says. And she is, but she is also still a little put off by Regina's reaction to the whole thing.

"Hey, why don't you come by tomorrow night for karaoke? It is a completely different place in here on Thursdays. It is more energetic and a lot of fun. You could even call in an order ahead of time for food if you're going to have another long day." Killian says trying to lighten her mood.

Emma realizes that she does not really know anyone in Seattle yet and thinks that Sky would be happy to hear that she is making friends. Or at least trying to, so she nods. "Yeah, maybe. It could be fun. I'll see how the day goes tomorrow. I really should head out though and actually try to make it to my car this time." She says awkwardly.

Killian laughs and agrees with her. They say their goodbyes and he watches as Emma walks across the street and into the parking garage. Then he shakes his head and walks back into the bar.

Regina is behind the bar putting away the rest of the glasses. Her wrist is still bothering her and she hopes that if she puts some ice on it that by morning, it will feel much better. She hears the front door shut and looks up to see Killian watching her curiously. "What?" She asks.

"You could have been a little bit nicer, you know. Maybe show her your good side first and then wait until she comes in a few more times before you're a total arse." There is a hint of seriousness in his voice, but mostly he just likes to tease Regina for how anti-social she is becoming with the bar patrons lately.

Regina sighs, "Killian, I don't have the time nor the energy to play nice and befriend every single person that walks into this bar like you do. And especially not the ones that can't open a door without running someone over. That lady is a lawsuit waiting to happen."

"Right." Killian knows better than to force the subject any further. For a while now, any particular conversation about Regina meeting people and making new friends always ends poorly. He understands why she closes herself off so he decides to let it go for now. He sees that she is rubbing at her wrist and he frowns. "Are you alright? Did you get hurt?" He asks clearly concerned.

"That woman was solid muscle. I mean, she obviously works out or something. I think that I'm lucky that it is just my wrist that seems be a little bit strained." Regina says her voice filled with exhaustion. "I'm sure that it'll be fine after some ice and some rest."

Killian nods. "It isn't even one yet. Are you really wanting to close early again tonight?"

Regina feels so exhausted, both physically and mentally. She pinches the bridge of her nose and tries to compose herself. "Yes, I think so. I'm sorry, I'm just really tired." She thinks about how much she used to love every second that she spent at the bar. The long hours and work was very difficult in the beginning but once she got into the groove of it, the place quickly became her first love and her one true happiness. That was until she met Danielle Price.

Regina remembers how Danielle started as one of her first regulars. She eventually became a friend and then with some time, a lot more than that. She did not even think that she could ever be in a relationship with a woman until Danielle came into her life but it all happened with such a natural progression that it never felt less than perfect.

Regina recalls those late nights when Danielle would come into the bar just to sit around and talk with her while she cleaned and closed down. There were nights that they would talk until well into the morning. But right now, she does not really want to think about any of it. What she really wants is to be at home and in bed.

Killian sees that she is lost in her own thoughts. He thinks that he knows what she may be thinking about so he walks over to her and puts his arm around her shoulders pulling her close to him. "Hey…"

Regina looks up and smiles sadly at him. "I'm alright, Killian. I promise."

Killian returns the smile. Regina has become really important to him in the few years that they have known each other and he knows that she is still heartbroken and hurting over the events of the past few months. He cannot say that he has gotten over all of it either but he surmises that Regina just processes things differently than he does. While he is a lot more angry than he is heartbroken, she is quite the opposite. He tries to remind himself that it will take time for her to heal even though she refuses to talk about it with him or anyone else. At some point though, that conversation will probably need to happen. Regrettably, it will not be happening tonight.

Killian rubs the shoulder that he's holding and feels her start to relax a little bit. "Hey, how about you just take off and I'll wipe everything down and lock up. I'll even open up tomorrow morning so you don't have to come in until after lunch time."

Regina smiles weakly and nods. Then she hugs him, "All the girls are right. You really do say all the right things, you know that?" She says only half-jokingly.

"Yes, that's me. A regular Casanova." He squeezes her tightly before adding, "I just want you to get plenty of rest so that we can kill it on the mics tomorrow night. You know that I won't sing any duets with anyone but you."

"Oh, please! Don't think for a second that I will let you use me again to make all the girls squeal. I almost got into a fight in my own bar with that jealous, crazy woman because of you a few weeks ago."

He laughs because he remembers how hilarious it was that a drunken college girl had to be escorted out by the police after attempting to throw a beer bottle at the bar owner. And then he winks at her before saying, "She didn't stand a chance against you, Love."

This time, Regina laughs. "Alright, I'm going to grab my stuff and go. Are you sure that you're fine with closing and opening tomorrow?" He nods reassuringly so she gives him her set of keys and takes her purse and jacket before leaving through the back. Killian watches her go but wonders if she will actually get any rest tonight.


	4. Four - Love Action

***Author's Note: I am very easily inspired by music and as I began writing this story, I quickly associated some of my favorite songs with the story that I want to tell. I currently have an ongoing list of songs, a soundtrack for the story so to speak, and two of those songs are featured in this Chapter. First one is Love Action performed by The Human League which has also inspired the title of this Chapter and the second is Till We Ain't Strangers Anymore performed by Jon Bon Jovi and Leann Rimes. If you would like to know some of the other songs that I have correlated with this story, let me know and I can add them into the notes before each chapter. As always, enjoy and share your thoughts! I would really appreciate any questions or concerns.***

Emma groans as the radio blares from the hotel alarm clock. She reaches to turn it off and then rolls over putting a pillow over her face. She really does not want to get out of bed. She finally got back to the hotel at half past midnight and she is so exhausted that she goes straight to sleep. Less groggy now, she thinks back to last night and of Killian and the bar. She likes that she found a place to hang out.

When living in New York, whenever she wanted to relax and have a drink, she and Ruby had a place that they would frequent. They are friends with the owner, know all of the bartenders by name, and have even made friends with many of the familiar faces they saw regularly. It will be nice to have a place like that here in Seattle and Killian seemed genuinely nice enough. The owner though, Emma is still unsure about. If she were to guess based on last night's encounter, the woman is a real piece of work. But Emma did fall into the woman probably causing her to get hurt in the process, so maybe the cold reaction is warranted. Not one to really judge someone based on a first impression anyway, let alone the brief one that they had, she thinks that she will go back to _Regina's_ tonight to properly introduce herself.

She stretches and gets out of bed. Her body is sore and her muscles feel tight even though her feet are feeling much better. She wonders how long she will be able to stand on them today before they start to hurt again. She is dreading the day already but heads to the bathroom to shower and get ready for work.

She is able to find a parking spot on the second floor this time and even though it is a small win, she takes it as a good omen for the rest of the day. She makes it to the Key Arena a bit early so she finds a place to sit and pulls out her phone. She sees a text message from Ruby telling her that she misses her and reminding Emma that she really needs to call her soon so they can catch up. She quickly sends a message back telling Ruby about the long day that she worked yesterday purposely omitting the part about _Regina's_ and Killian. The last thing that she needs is for Ruby to blow up her phone asking for details of her night out. She tells her friend that she will call her on Saturday because she will not have to work and they can talk for longer. Ruby replies with a good time to call her along with a kissing emoji. Emma sends one back and puts her phone back in her pocket.

Minutes later, she receives her work assignment and she finds that she is assigned to the same duties as yesterday but in a different part of the arena. She sees that they are handing out hand towels and walks over to see why. She grabs one and decides to ask an older woman that is at the bin next to her. "Hi, I was wondering if you might know, will we need these for something?"

It is evident that the woman is a veteran to this job when she answers. "Oh Sweetheart, grab more than one! And do it quickly while you still can because they go fast. We stack them up and stand on them. It makes these darn floors more bearable. It isn't an anti-fatigue mat by any means but it does okay."

"Oh, great. Thanks." Emma says to the woman and reaches in to grab four more towels. After the night she had last night, she is not going to take any chances.

She makes it to her post and soon realizes that the towels really do make a world of difference. It is still painful standing for so long but it is definitely much easier than it had been the day before. She is even able to enjoy the competition today. She enjoys it so much in fact, that by the end of the day, she has a specific team that she is rooting for to win. They are just beginning the last match of the night when Emma pulls out her phone to check the time. It is only 8pm which means that they could possibly get out of there earlier than she is expecting to. The two teams that are playing now will be competing for a spot in the semi-finals and Emma suspects that even if this match takes longer than the others had, they would be finished before 10pm and that guarantees that she will make it over to the bar before the kitchen is shut down for the night.

As she predicts, the competition is over just a few minutes after 9pm and she is more than grateful for that. She is so tired and even though her feet do not hurt nearly as badly as they did yesterday, they are still very sore. Her calves also hurt and her lower back is killing her. She returns the towels and heads out of the building. The night air is cool and having the fresh air hit her face after a long day inside feels nice. By the time she makes it over to the street where the parking garage and the bar is, she feels more refreshed.

She walks up to the entrance of the bar and pulls on the door lightly, careful this time that someone might be on the other side. When she senses no resistance, she pulls it open wider and walks in. Killian is right. The atmosphere in the bar tonight is entirely different from last night. There are not very many empty seats at the bar and the tables are all nearly full. There is a DJ on stage that is orchestrating the karaoke event and a man that is singing a 90's country hit. Killian and Regina are both behind the bar tonight but they do not seem to be super busy at the moment. They are talking with a man and a woman sitting directly in front of them. Killian looks up and sees her in the doorway and yells from the bar, "Hey, Emma!" Then he comes around the bar and walks over to her. "You made it."

She smiles at Killian and looks up to see that Regina is looking in their direction now. She regards Emma for a second before going back to the conversation she is having. Emma turns back to Killian. "Yeah...well, you made it sound like it was going to be so amazing. I hope that I'm not going to be disappointed." She teases.

"Oh, don't you worry, I rarely disappoint. Come on over to the bar." He walks in that direction but turns to make sure Emma is following him. "Did you want something to drink?" He asks with a smile once he is behind the bar once again.

"Sure." Emma shrugs. "Same as yesterday?"

"You got it." He pours the drink and hands it to her. Then he interrupts Regina and the conversation that she is having, "Regina, you remember Emma from yesterday." It is more of a statement than a question.

The man and woman sitting there turn towards Emma as well and this makes her feel very self-conscious for a second.

Regina subconsciously rubs at her wrist that still happens to be sore. She smiles tightly. "Mhm...pretty impossible to forget if you ask me."

Emma is about to apologize again when Killian introduces her to the others. "Robin, Marian, this is Emma. She is new to the city."

Marian who is sitting closer to Emma turns her body so that she could reach out her hand. Emma shakes it. "It's nice to meet you Emma. Welcome to Seattle. This is my husband Robin but everyone calls him Rob. He and I went to school with Regina so we've all been friends forever."

Then Robin reaches around his wife to extends his hand as well. "What brings you to the Emerald City, Emma?"

She hates this particular question and she sees from the corner of her eye that Killian is smirking at her. "I was just passing through. I haven't decided if this is where I want to stay.

"Oh, so you're like a vagabond? That sounds very exciting!" Marian says.

Emma shrugs and replies. "Something like that, I guess." She notices that the whole time they are having this conversation Regina seems completely uninterested. _So much for properly reintroducing myself_. She pulls out her phone to check the time before asking Killian if she could order something to eat.

Killian smiles at her. "Ah, and you actually made it on time today," he jests. "What will you have? Do you need a menu?"

Emma shakes her head. "Nah, I will just take the burger again. With cheese…"

"And no ketchup, right?" Regina adds before Emma can finish her order. Emma nods to confirm and when she does, Regina turns and goes into the kitchen.

Emma sighs audibly. "Man, I don't think she likes me very much." Emma does not realize that she has spoken aloud until she hears Robin chuckling.

"Don't be offended Emma. Regina doesn't like anyone, really. But I'll tell you what, once you get under her skin, she is the most loyal person that you will ever meet." Both Marian and Killian nod in agreement and Emma smiles feeling a little bit reassured. "So, tell us Emma, do you sing? I think that Killy is looking for a duet partner tonight."

Marian shoves Robin and he laughs. "Oh, stop it Rob! Emma, don't you let these boys bother you with all of their horsing around. They are hooligans. And Killian is always looking for a duet partner but everyone knows that he will only sing with Gill."

They are all laughing now and Emma feels lighter and more at ease than she has in a long time. They continue to chat and Emma learns that Marian runs a daycare that she has set up out of their home and that they have a 3-year old boy named Roland. Robin is a botany professor and lectures at a local community college. He also teaches a children's archery class every other weekend. Killian tells her about the time Robin tried to teach him how to use a bow and how sore his arm was the next day. They are all laughing again when they hear the DJ's voice through the speakers. "Killian Quinn. You're up!" Both Marian and Robin cheer as Killian enthusiastically make his way up to the stage.

When he gets on the platform and grabs the mic, and everyone is patiently waiting for the music to start. When it does, the bar erupts in cheers and applause. Emma laughs to herself because she is not at all surprised at Killian's song choice.

Killian starts dancing in place to the music and Robin says to his wife, "Darling, let's move up to that front table to support our friend. He's about to make a fool of himself again."

Marian gets up and turns to Emma. "Would you like to join us? It looks like there is plenty of space at the table."

Emma declines. "I still have food coming so I should probably wait for it here. I'll eat and then maybe find you guys afterwards."

The couple turns and leaves Emma. She turns her chair so that she could watch Killian belt out the words to the 80's classic.

" _When you're in love, you know you're in love, no matter what you try to do. You might as well resign yourself, to what you're going through…"_

"Don't be fooled, he has been singing that song almost every other week since we started having our karaoke nights so he's had plenty of practice." Regina says.

Emma turns to see that Regina is back with her burger and fries. She sets it down in front of her. Emma laughs at her comment about Killian. "Thank you…and I didn't get a chance to tell you yesterday but your burgers are delicious. I haven't been able to think about anything else." She embellishes a bit on that last part hoping to inch her way over to the other woman's good side.

This time, Regina's smile is more genuine. "Thank you. It's my father's recipe. He makes them much better that I do but I think that these are okay." Regina seems like a completely different person to Emma just then as she is talking about her father. "Is there anything else that I can get for you?" Regina asks.

Emma shakes her head but Regina grabs a glass from the cooler, fills a glass with ice and water, and sets it down for her anyway. Then she leans back on the counter watching Killian as he finishes up the last chorus of his song.

" _I love your love action, lust's just a distraction, no talking-just looking, watching your love action."_

Killian tops off his performance by adding in a few dance moves and everyone is clapping. He takes a bow and exits off the stage going back behind the bar. He sees that Regina is back and asks "How'd I do, boss? You do know that I'm the reason that these people keep coming back here, right? I think that you need to give me a raise." Then he put his hand up as if he's waiting for a high five.

Regina smiles and pats him lightly on the cheek instead. "You're such a ham, Killian. But, I love that about you so don't ever change."

Emma watches this exchange and wonders to herself if there is something more going on between them. Regina may very well be the person Killian stayed in Seattle for. This piqued her curiosity and Emma thinks that she can casually ask him about it later.

The DJ announces that he's going to take a fifteen minute smoke break and everyone in the bar starts to shuffle around. Some head to the restrooms but most of the people go up to the bar to order more drinks. Killian and Regina are quick at serving everyone and before long, everyone is back at their tables.

Regina is busy cleaning dirty glasses when the DJ is back and announcing the next karaoke singer. "Let's see, who do we have next on the list? Does everyone have their drinks filled? If you don't, you're gonna have to wait until after this one because we have Killian Quinn and Regina Gainer up next!"

As everyone is once again cheering, Regina groans, "Killian! I told you that I am not really feeling it tonight."

"C'mon, Love. Just one. Robin and Marian are here and they hardly come out anymore."

She thinks about this and realizes that he is right. "UGH...Fine! But I'm not singing anything that you choose!"

Killian puts both of his hands up in surrender. "Alright, you pick the song, my queen." He says and he winks at Emma as he follows Regina out of the bar and up towards the stage.

Emma knows that she most definitely does not want to miss this one so she turns once again so that she has a good view of the two of them.

Regina and Killian are talking to the DJ and having him check for songs that they both know and when they finally agree on one, she takes the DJ's mic while Killian grabs the one that is on the stand. The music starts and Emma recognizes it. Marian and Robin are still up front and Robin whistles loudly before they start the song.

Killian starts singing. _"It might be hard to be lovers, but it's harder to be friends. Baby pull down the covers, it's time you let me in. Maybe light a couple candles, I'll just go ahead and lock the door. If you just talk to me baby, 'til we ain't strangers anymore."_

And then Regina sings, _"lay your head on my pillow, I sit beside you on the bed. Don't you think it's time we say, some things we haven't said. It ain't too late to get back to that place, back to where we thought it was before. Why don't you look at me, 'til we ain't strangers anymore."_

The song is slow and sweet and once Regina starts singing, Emma's eyes widen in surprise. "Whoa, shit." _Killian has a good singing voice but Regina's is incredible._ Emma likes the song a lot to begin with but Killian and Regina's version of it is fantastic and possibly her new favorite. She even sings along when her favorite part comes up.

" _It's hard to find forgiveness, when we just turn out the light. It's hard to say you're sorry, when you can't tell wrong from right. It would be so easy, to spend your whole damn life just keeping score._ _"_

" _So let's get down to it baby, there ain't no need to lie."_

" _Tell me who you think you see, when you look into my eyes."_

" _Let's put our two hearts back together and we'll leave the broken pieces on the floor."_

" _Make love with me baby, 'til we ain't strangers anymore."_

Emma gets a little lost in the moment and in the song, not registering that they are finished until everyone is applauding and cheering again. Killian grabs Regina's hand and takes a bow with her. Then they walk off of the stage still holding hands. There has to be a story there, Emma thinks again, before she turns back to finish her dinner.


	5. Five - Reuben Sandwiches

***Author's Note: There's mostly Killian and Emma interaction in this one but I promise that in the next chapter we'll finally get some time with our two leading ladies!***

Emma awakens on Saturday morning to her phone ringing. She reaches for it, checks the time and curses. It is not quite 7am and she should just leave it but she answers anyway. "What the fuck, Rubes. It is only seven. And it's Saturday. I thought you said to call you after noon."

"Oh, shit. Sorry, Harp. I finished my shift early and I forgot about the time difference." Ruby is super apologetic and feels horrible for waking her friend. "I can call you back in a few hours."

"Well, now I'm up already, you ass." Emma says playfully. "Early shift on a Saturday, you lucky brat. What are you going to do for the rest of the day?"

"Talk to you." Ruby flirts. "And maybe go shopping. If you were here, we could take a drive to the beach or something. It's super nice out today."

Emma frowns. "Aww. I wish that I was there to go to the beach with you. I do miss you, you know."

Ruby scoffs, "If you really missed me, you would call me more than just once a week. You've always been a bad liar but you're not even trying very hard to convince me anymore."

Emma sighs. "Ruby, I've been working! I worked twelve-hour days the last three days!"

Ruby rolls her eyes. "Sure, okay. But how about the four days before that?"

Emma laughs this time. "You're impossible. I was working then also. And we've been texting all week, it isn't like you haven't heard from me at all."

Ruby does know that Emma has been working a lot and both of their busy schedules along with the time difference from being nearly three thousand miles apart hardly leaves them any time for phone calls. "You need to hurry up and get your own place so I can come visit. Then maybe I'll consider not giving you so much shit." She says.

Emma squeezes her eyes shut in frustration. "Rubes, I haven't even found a real job yet. All I've been doing is temp work. I'm not going to be able to find a place that will rent to me without a stable income."

"Well, get on with it will you, Swan?!" Ruby laughs because she knows how ridiculous this whole conversation is. She knows that if Emma wanted to find something permanent, that she would have it already. She also knows by the way her friend has described Seattle that Emma is still unsure about it being her final stop. But, she does not want to push her so she changes the subject instead. "Have you talked with your mom and dad at all? Do they know where you are?"

Emma sighs. She hardly ever hears from her family. Since moving out at eighteen, she has pretty much been completely on her own. Emma's mom and dad got pregnant and decided to have another child right before she graduated high school and their attention and energy has been focused on her baby brother since he was born. Emma does not resent them for it, the reality of it is just that he needs them more than she ever did. They will reach out to her on holidays or her birthday, and once in a blue moon Emma would make a trip back home to Maine. When she thinks back on it though, she has not seen them in several years now. They still think she is living in New York. "No, I haven't. I should probably call them though. Neal's eleventh birthday is coming up soon, too. I definitely need to send the lil' squirt a card and some nerf guns or something."

This makes Ruby shake her head and chuckle. "Your parents will love the nerf gun idea, I'm sure. Why don't you get him a drum set or a trombone also while you're at it."

They both laugh about it as they imagine that Emma's parents would both be horrified by those gifts. "Actually, it's not a bad idea." Emma replies.

"So, anyway, what are you going to do today. Have you even done any sightseeing or anything fun since getting over there?" Ruby asks.

Emma thinks that she probably should go do the things that tourists do, but it feels so strange doing them by herself. "I haven't really had the time to. Maybe I'll wait until you come visit."

Ruby rolls her eyes again even though she knows Emma cannot see her. "Seriously? First of all, I already told you my conditions for when I want to visit. Second, get off your lazy ass and go do things, Harp. Go meet people! Stop being such a recluse."

"What? I am not a recluse. I meet people. I meet people all the time." Emma defends.

"Name one person that you've met then. And don't you dare name someone that works at that hotel that you're currently perched at everyday."

And before she even thinks about it she replies. "I've met this guy. His name is Killian."

"Wow, okay. Who, pray tell, is Killian? Is he some old man that you work with? What kind of name is Killian?"

"Geezus, Ruby. He's not an old man and I don't work with him. We met at a bar that he works at."

Ruby screams. "WHAT THE FUCK, Emma! Why is this the first time I've heard you bring this guy up? And you met at a bar? When did this happen? You better start talking, woman."

Emma is not at all surprised by Ruby's reaction. "This is exactly why I didn't bring it up. Because you always freak the hell out. I met him a couple of nights ago and I saw him at the bar again last night. I only hung out long enough to eat and have a drink. And before you even go there, it isn't what you think. I'm not looking for dates, or even for anything casual. It is just nice to have someone in this city that knows me by name. That's all."

As expected, Ruby ignores most of what Emma is telling her. "So, is he hot?"

"Rubes, I am not going to answer that...you are-"

Ruby cuts her off. "OH! That means he's hot!"

Emma ignores her friend. "Ruby, you're ridiculous. I'm going to hang up and go back to bed. Enjoy shopping and whatever else you're going to do today."

"That has to mean he's reeeeally-"

Before Ruby can finish her sentence, Emma ends the call. Within seconds, she gets a text message from Ruby and all it says is 'HOT'. Emma rolls her eyes. Then she puts her phone back on the night stand, throws the covers over her head and falls back to sleep.

When she wakes again, it is nearly noon. She stretches and then decides to jump into the shower. The shower wakes her up and she is feeling more energized once she has dried her hair and gotten dressed for the day. She exits the bathroom and grabs her phone to find that she has a few text messages. There is a thread of them from Ruby, calling her various names and then telling her that she expects more details the next time they talk, followed by a message saying that she loves and misses her.

Checking the next message that she received, she notices that it is from a phone number she does not recognize. She opens it to find that it is Killian asking if she has any lunch plans for today. This is when she remembers that he had asked her for her phone number on Thursday night when she was on her way out after they had talked about how she is not scheduled for work today. Killian, from what she remembers, does not have to be at the bar until later tonight so he told her that he could show her around the city if she wanted to hang out. She checks the time to see that the message is timestamped just several minutes ago. Emma saves his number in her phone and then replies telling him that he has amazing timing because she is starving. After a few messages back and forth, they decide to meet for brunch at a place that is a few blocks from where Emma is staying.

Killian is really quite the gentleman. Emma notes that he opens doors and pulls out the chair for her even though she is the type of girl that would rather do those things for herself. He is also funny and incredibly charismatic. Emma can tell that both the hostess and the server of the restaurant are smitten with him which is humorous to her because although the server is very good looking with a nice, athletic build, he is male. However, Killian not once falters or changes his demeanor and if he is uncomfortable with it, he never once shows it. He just stays his normal chatty and charming self, the whole time which makes Emma think that he is actually just as genuinely kind as he portrays. She decides it is something that she really admires about him.

Killian buys Emma's lunch and then insists that they walk around the city so that he could tell her the good restaurants to try and then show her some of his other favorite places. They walk around for about half an hour when Emma wonders again about the conversation they had that very first night she met him. "So, you mentioned before that you were passing through but decided to stay. I can't imagine it was all because of that Reuben place that you pointed out back there."

Without skipping a beat he responds, "Go and try that Reuben and then tell me that you wouldn't leave everything you know and love just to be in the same city as that sandwich."

Emma punches Killian in the arm and then they are both laughing. "Seriously. What really made you stay here?"

Killian contemplates this for a moment before answering. "Well, as I said before, the city is beautiful, so that's one reason. You joke about that sandwich shop but I have to say that it's a close second along with all the other good food and beer here in Seattle. I can't argue with what my stomach tells me." Then he hesitates again before he adds, "and I guess I did decide to stay for a girl, too." Emma does not say anything hoping that this prompts him to continue. And he does. "Her name is Elle. But we aren't together anymore."

Emma decides that now is as good a time as ever, so she asks, "So what about Regina? Are you two…?"

This makes Killian laugh. "Regina is a very, very good friend. Probably my best friend, these days. I know that she doesn't seem like it but she really is the most genuine person you'll ever meet. She tries to look and act tough but she's a big softy. And she is one of the kindest and most courageous people that I know. So, I suppose she is also one of the reasons that I am still here in Seattle. She's really the closest thing I have to family." He says the last part in a more serious tone.

Emma just nods. "Hmm...well, you and her just seem like you would make a very good couple. I mean, just from watching the two of you interacting the other night."

Killian shrugs. "I suppose you're not the first person to ever tell me that. But, I don't think either one of us feels that way for each other. I want her to find someone that makes her really happy because she deserves that."

"So, what about you?" Emma asks.

Killian chuckles and deflects her question. "What's with all the questions? How about you tell me about what you're doing here. And I mean, the truth."

"You're right. That's too many questions." Then she looks at him with a cheeky grin.

"I'll get it out of you eventually, Emma." Then he changes the subject because he knows better than to push a woman to talk about something she is not ready to talk about. "Now tell me, have you taken the Harbor Cruise yet?"

It does not take Killian very long to talk Emma into walking down to the waterfront with him. Emma thinks that Ruby will probably be surprised to hear that she is not only exploring the city and doing some sightseeing, but she is also hanging out with her new friend. The cruise around the harbor is more fun than Emma expects it to be and even though Killian must have done it before, he seems to have enjoyed it just as much as she does.

As they are walking back up the hill towards where Killian has parked, he says, "I am glad that we did this today. I hope that I've helped with your decision to stick around."

Emma sighs. "Yeah, well. I still haven't really found a job yet. That would probably help me make a decision also."

Killian thinks about that for a moment before replying. "Well, I'll need to check with Regina but you could always come work at the bar until you find something permanent. Maybe a few nights a week just to help out while you're still doing your temp work. I think that she will appreciate having a bit more time off. I know that I would love to have more days off."

Emma finds this almost hysterical. "Regina hates me. I think she'd take on extra hours and longer days before she would even consider me working at her bar."

Killian knows Regina well and she most certainly does not hate anyone. _Probably not even Danielle._ So, once again, he tries to convince Emma that her feelings in regards to Regina are inaccurate. "She doesn't hate you. She doesn't even know you."

"Killian, you don't know me either!" Emma argues.

"Alright, well, I know you a wee bit better than Regina does. And I know Regina. She doesn't hate you. I'll talk to her tonight to see what she thinks about maybe getting some more help at the bar. You can always continue doing whatever it is that you do now. I'm not telling you to give everything up and become a barmaid." Killians says.

Emma cannot deny that Killian may be right. She knows that serving or bartending can make her some quick cash and if she did it on top of her temp work now, she would be able to afford to rent a place. "Fine. If she says that she can use some help, then I will apply for a job. But I don't want special treatment, okay? I want her to have an actual conversation with me. I need her to know more about me than what condiments I don't want on my burger."

Killian smiles. "You've got yourself a deal."


	6. Six - Help Needed

***Author's Notes: Some Regina and Emma interaction, FINALLY. If you are still following this story, I want to thank you so very much for your patience. I hope that you enjoy this update. As always, thanks for reading!***

Killian pitches the idea to Regina almost immediately after his shift begins.

Regina does not even hesitate before she answers, "absolutely not. And what is it with you and your fascination with this person? You've known her like, what? A few minutes? We don't even need any extra help."

Killian scoffs at her last remark. "Really? We don't need any extra help? That's what you're going to go with. Gina, neither one of us ever has a full day off unless it's a holiday, and that's only if you decide to go visit your parents!"

Regina scowls at him and at the nickname he chooses to use. "Don't you dare call me that. You know I hate it. And if you want a full day off so damn much, take one. I can open and close this place by myself. I've done it before."

Killian thinks that this may not be the best time to be talking about all of this but then again, the floodgates have already been opened. Killian remembers when Robin first introduced him to Regina, that she was very skeptical of him as well. He knows that Regina is extremely protective of her bar, and of herself. He understands why she does it but he thinks that it is about time to put his foot down. "Do you remember when Robin brought me in here asking you to give me a job? Do you remember how much you hated that idea?"

"Of course, I do. I thought that you were cocky and obnoxious. And I didn't need the help."

"But you gave me a chance anyway. Why?"

Regina remembers exactly why, "because Robin and Marian are my good friends and for some whatever reason, unbeknownst to me at that time, they liked and trusted you. But that has nothing to do with what we are talking about here."

Killian refuses to back down. "Doesn't it though? You don't need the help, I get that. You could run this place without any help at all if you wanted to. But, not one of us that cares about you wants to see you working yourself to death. I'm not saying that Emma is going to come in and take all of your shifts. Nor mine. She has other work to tend to all over the city and she could just fill in when one of us can't or doesn't want to be here. And you know what, I know that you hate to admit it, but I'm right. I have a good feeling about Emma. I think that if you just give her a chance, you can learn to like her. You just need to trust me."

Regina stares quietly at Killian for a second because she does know that he is right. And, she does trust him. She sighs, clearly defeated, and leans back against the back counter. Regina is playing with her hands now, an anxious habit of hers, and it does not go unnoticed by Killian. "If you want me to hire her on so that you can have some more time off, that's fair. You deserve that. I know that you bust your ass for me sixty plus hours a week and that can get exhausting for anyone. But, this bar is my life and I don't need more time off. I wouldn't even know what to do with the extra free time anyway."

"Hey…" Killian walks over to Regina, grabs both her hands and holds them in his. "I know that this bar is your life. Everyone that knows you knows how much of yourself you put into it. But I also know that you can have a life outside of all of this too, because I've seen it. I remember a time when you barely wanted to be here. And you never loved the bar any less, but maybe you loved yourself a little more. Gina…" Once again, Regina glowers at the nickname so Killian clears his throat and starts again. "Regina, you have to allow yourself be happy again because that is what you deserve whether you believe that or not."

Regina blinks away fresh tears that are forming in her eyes and Killian reaches behind her for a napkin, handing it to her so that she can wipe them away. Then he pulls her in, hugs her tightly, and kisses the top of her head. Regina wraps her arms around him and takes a couple of deep breaths before finally replying, "I don't know if I can find that place again."

Killian knows exactly how she feels. It has been a rough few months for the both of them and he wants to remind her that he will always be by her side. "I'm going to tell you exactly what I keep telling myself every morning. You'll know it when you do feel it again and you're going to be just fine."

Regina pulls away so she can look at Killian then. He is smiling at her but she can see that there is still pain behind it. Regina knows that while he puts on a brave face, that he might just be as broken as she is. She manages a smile and nods in acknowledgement of his last words. "Thank you," she whispers before hugging him again.

After a bit more coaxing, Regina finally agrees. She tells Killian to give her Emma's phone number and promises him that she will give her a call after the weekend is over. This way they can plan on setting aside some time for a proper meeting. In return, Killian assures her that she will not regret her decision and that it will be a good change for both of them. Regina sincerely hopes that his intuitions are correct.

Emma ends up working at the stadiums on both Sunday and Monday. There is a soccer game the first day and then baseball the next. She is very grateful that the Seattle summer has been milder than she is expecting so far because being outside for such long hours at a time would be torturous otherwise. Since she is not scheduled for any work today, she wants to spend it doing something that she enjoys. She orders room service for breakfast and once she is finished, rather than being cooped up in her room all day, she grabs a book and heads outside. She is trying to enjoy the breezy, beautiful weather by the small hotel pool when her phone rings. She does not recognize the number but knows that she should answer in case it is someone calling from one of the many companies that she has been sending her résumé to. So she does.

"Hello, may I speak with Emma please?"

Emma thinks she recognizes the voice but she cannot place it. "This is Emma speaking."

"Hi Emma. This is Regina." When Regina does not hear a reply on Emma's end, she adds, "you know, from the bar?"

"OH! Yes. Hi Regina. Uh...Is everything alright?"

"Yes, actually, I asked Killian for your contact information because he told me that you might be interested in helping out at the bar part-time. I am calling to ask if that is still the case."

"Yes, of course. I mean, yeah, sure. If you're hiring, I would love that. I would really love to help you out, if you are looking for help." Emma realizes that she is rambling and smacks herself in the forehead. She hates that every single time she has had a chance to interact with Regina, she manages to completely make a fool of herself.

However, Regina does not notice Emma's awkwardness at all. "Yes, well, I think that I can probably use an extra person a few days or nights a week. Do you have time today to swing by so that we can have a quick conversation about the position? I'll be here for the rest of the afternoon and probably at least until the end of the Happy Hour rush."

"Sure. I'm actually free right now. I can be there in about half an hour, if that works for you?"

"Yes. That will be just fine. I will see you then."

They end the call and Emma grabs her stuff and heads back to her room. She thinks that this may be the one chance she gets to redeem herself with Regina. She slips out of her shorts and tank top and puts on a fresh pair of slacks and a nice fitted dress shirt. For the last few days she has had her hair wrapped up in a bun or braided back so that it is away from her face while she is working, so decides for today that she will wear it down instead. She puts on a bit of makeup which she has not been wearing very much of lately, and slips on a pair of her favorite loafers. She looks over herself one last time in the mirror by the door before locking up and heading out.

The drive to Regina's does not take Emma very long. By the time she parks and gets to the door, she is right on time. Emma is quite proud of herself for it because even though she usually tries to be punctual, time is hardly ever on her side. When she walks in, she sees that the bar is completely empty. Regina is behind the bar looking down at the phone in her hand.

When Regina looks up , she sees who it is and smiles. She notes that Emma looks somewhat different, maybe more relaxed than what she remembered from the other night. She cannot decide why but it is not what she is expecting at all. "Hello, Emma."

"Hi." Emma replies, smiling shyly. Emma sees that Regina is wearing a pair of black, thick-rimmed glasses and her hair is straighter than she has seen previously. She has some of it tucked behind her ear while the rest of it is softly framing her face. With the lighting in the bar so different during the day, Emma notices for the first time how naturally beautiful Regina is. Emma has to mentally shake out of it when she suddenly catches herself checking the other woman out.

"Can I make you something to drink? It's on the house."

Emma raises her brow and then teases, "Is that a trick question? Or do you always buy the people that you interview a drink first?"

Regina smiles, "well, if this were an interview, I suppose that it would be quite inappropriate. However, since I wasn't planning on this being that formal, I think that a drink would be alright."

"Okay, then." So, Emma decides on a beer.

"Do you like IPAs?"

Emma nods so Regina pours two of them and comes around to the front of the bar handing one to her. Then she motions towards the corner of the bar where the bookcase and the reading chairs are before she starts walking in that direction. Emma follows and sits in the chair that is opposite Regina. Regina takes a sip of her beer and puts it down on the coffee table that is in the center. Emma is just holding on to her beer looking into the glass when she speaks, "I'll have to admit, I am completely surprised that you called me today."

"Hm, oh yeah? Why is that?"

"I guess that I just get that feeling I didn't make a very good first impression." Emma takes a drink of her beer trying to forget that whole incident that happened on the sidewalk the first night she met Regina.

Regina laughs at this, "You most certainly did not." But before Emma can reply, she quickly adds, "Emma, in all honesty, I don't know you. But, I do know that Killian thinks very highly of you or else he wouldn't have suggested that I call you. So, the real purpose of this meeting is so that I can get to know you better and hopefully it will help you to get to know me a bit as well."

What Regina says about Killian makes Emma smile. She is also relieved that Regina does not seem to hold a grudge against her. "Killian has been very sweet. I think that he knows that I'm new to the city and he just really feels bad for me."

"Killian has a gift for making others feel like they are well cared for but I assure you that he isn't doing it because he feels bad for you." Regina grabs her beer again and takes a sip. "So, Killian also tells me that you are currently staying in the downtown area? How are you liking it so far?"

"It's alright. I mean, I'm staying at a hotel so it isn't exactly my dream destination or anything."

"Oh, so you haven't been here for very long then? Do you think that you will be looking for something more permanent any time soon?"

"Well, I've been here for almost two months. I haven't started looking for a place to live because I don't know what exactly it is that I am looking for. All I do know is that I haven't found it."

"Ah, that is pretty much the same reason that you are now in Seattle rather than in New York, correct?"

Emma is surprised by Regina's bluntness but nods, "Now, I am beginning to think that you know more about me than you are letting on. Maybe I should be the one asking the questions."

"I am the bartender, Emma. I hear everything." Regina is amused by the comment and she is up for the challenge. "What is it that you would like to know about me? Ask away."

"You may regret that." Emma jokes before she starts thinking of questions that she can ask Regina.

Regina shrugs, "I don't really have very much to hide."

Emma considers a few different topics before settling on something simple. "So, are you from around here?" Emma asks.

Regina answers without any hesitation. "More or less. I grew up in Vancouver, Washington. My parents still live there now. I moved to the city after I graduated high school."

"Did you always want to own a bar?"

Regina thinks about this one for a second, "No, I guess not. It honestly never even crossed my mind. I studied pre-law and after I finished my undergrad, I decided that I really didn't want to go to law school. I worked for a tech company in the downtown area for a few years doing marketing and market research and the first time I ever stepped foot into this bar, I fell in love with it. I would come in here a lot and just sit in this corner with a book and a glass of wine. I became friends with the previous owner and he frequently talked about retiring and selling the bar. His biggest worry was that some real estate jerks would get ahold of it and ruin everything that he built. So, I talked him into selling it to me instead. And so, here I am, and now I can't imagine myself doing anything else."

Emma can tell by the way Regina talks about the bar how much she loves it. "Well, you are very good at what you do for this not ever being your Plan A."

Regina laughs and Emma thinks that it makes her even more beautiful. "I don't have a clue what I'm doing most of the time. It isn't exactly the most glamorous career choice either, but who doesn't like being able to come into work everyday in jeans and a flannel?"

Emma finishes the last of her beer and smirks at Regina, "It is a very practical outfit and not to mention, looks very good on you."

Regina laughs nervously as she tucks some of her stray bangs behind her ear. "You're too kind, really." Regina feels her face get warm and blames it on the sun shining in from the window next to her. "So, what was your Plan A?"

"I was never really good at making plans. As long as I have gas money and enough to feed myself, I think that it's a pretty good day."

Regina thinks about how scary that sounds. Both scary but extremely admirable at the same time. She cannot imagine herself being able to just pack up her things and leave Washington without any plans at all.

They spend a while longer just casually talking. Emma asks a few more very random questions and finds out that Regina loves cheeseburgers and bar nachos even though she does not allow herself to eat either one very often and Regina learns that Emma could eat a grilled cheese sandwich everyday of the week. They exchange bar stories, Regina telling Emma some funny stories about some of the regulars that come into the bar and in exchange, Emma shares with her about Ruby and some of her favorite bar stories from when she lived in New York. Emma also talks about her drive across the country and it surprises Regina how intriguing all of the stories are.

When Killian comes in ready to start his shift, he finds the two of them completely engrossed in conversation. Regina notices him first and waves him over. "Why hello ladies, you two look like you're getting on quite well."

They smile at each other and when Regina gets up, Emma immediately misses the other woman's presence. "I didn't realize that we had been talking for so long, Emma. I didn't mean to keep you from enjoying your day off."

"Oh no, don't worry about it. That was actually really, really nice." She smiles happily.

Killian looks between the two women, first at Emma and then back at Regina. He sees that the they are still smiling at each other and considers walking away so that he does not further interrupt the moment they are having. But before he can do so, Regina speaks again, "So, Emma, if you're still interested in the position, it's yours."

Emma beams, "Really? I...yes. I mean, yes, of course I am still interested." Then she playfully adds, "just let me know when you need me to come in and I will get my flannel and jeans ready."

Regina laughs at Emma's quip "Just come in whenever you are free and either Killian or I will stick around to show you the ropes. It doesn't sound like you will need much training since you said that you've done bartending and serving before. But you will have to get the Washington state MAST permit to be able to serve. There's a training course that you can take online and it's pretty inexpensive. We can always work out an actual schedule later on."

Emma makes a mental note to look up information for the course once she is back at the hotel. "That sounds great. Thank you again for today, and for the beer. I should probably get out of here and let you two get to work." Then she walks to Killian and hugs him which surprises him. "Thanks for everything Killian. I owe you a Reuben sandwich."

"You know that I won't turn that down," he answers as he gladly returns the hug.

Before making it out the door, Emma turns back to tell Regina that she will take the class for the permit as soon as possible. She asks Regina whether she should just call her or stop by again so they can decide on when a good start date for her would be. Regina tells her that it will probably take a week to ten days before she will have her permit in hand so she can just stop by anytime after that.

By the time Emma is back at the hotel, she cannot remember the last time she was so excited to start a new position. She suddenly feels very, very happy that she made the decision to stop in Seattle. Then she dials Ruby's number so that she can tell Ruby about her day.


	7. Seven - New Homes And Old Scars

***Author's Note: Please don't hate me for this chapter for there is more of the the Killan and Emma "relationship" than there is of Regina and Emma. Keep reading though because I have some really good things planned for this story. As always, thank you so much for taking the time to read Where We Belong and let me know your thoughts if you care to share them.***

Once Emma receives her new alcohol permit a few weeks later, she stops by the bar to show Regina and ends up staying for a few hours shadowing Killian while Regina decides to work on some things in her office in the back. Killian shows Emma how to use the operating system for orders which she thinks is pretty straightforward. Emma thinks that for the most part, it should not be too difficult to pick up. And when Killian finishes his shift and leaves for the day, Regina tells Emma that she can go over the menu with her if she wants to stay. Emma agrees thinking that it will be even easier than all the computer stuff but somehow, it ends up being more overwhelming than she expects. Regina leaves Emma to study the daily specials while she tends to the customers and when she asks how it is going later that evening, Emma shrugs as she answers nervously. "I don't know but think that I should be okay. There's just a lot to remember. I guess I'm a bit rustier than I thought."

Regina, however, believes that Emma will be just fine. "I'm sure that you'll remember more than you think. I'm confident that once you get started, you'll find that it'll be like riding a bike." Then Regina offers to feed her, and Emma never turns down food, before telling her to come in for her first shift on Thursday and then sending her on her way.

When Emma shows up that Thursday night she is in tight jeans, a plain black tank top, and with her hair in two braided buns. This stuns both Killian and Regina and when Killian makes a hilarious remark about how she's "obviously ready to make those tips", it earns him a hard smack in the arm. Regina catches herself staring at Emma's tone arms and quickly turns herself around pretending to clean the countertop so that she can hide her face, which she is sure is turning red. Emma does not seem to notice as she is too busy trying to hide her own embarrassment after Killian's comment.

In order to change the subject, Emma tells them that she needs to study the menu some more before it starts to get busy so she walks over to where the menus are kept and grabs one. She takes down a few more notes on a pad of paper that she pulls from her back pocket and mentally goes over everything that she has learned. Emma asks Regina a few more questions regarding the Thursday specials and by the time the bar begins to fill up, she is pumped and ready to go.

To no one's surprise except for her own, Emma is indeed great at the job. It really helps that her first night of work is one of the bar's busiest nights and that Karaoke Night is once again a huge hit. While she manages to evade Killian's many attempts at tricking her into singing a cheesy love ballad with him, she is easily roped into singing an old country hit with an adorable older couple.

Regina is happy to see that Emma walking around and chatting with the guests when there was no one up at the bar that needs her help and she notices that it does not take her very long to get to know most of the regular Thursday night crowd. It stays busy enough that before any of them realize it, it is time for last call.

It is just after two in the morning when they have finally gotten everyone out of the bar. Regina tells them that she is going to take out the trash and then go around to the front to grab the sign so that she can lock up. Before she makes it out through the back door, she is calling to Emma. "Hey Emma, you can take off if you need to. Didn't you say that you work an early shift tomorrow? Killian and I can finish up with closing."

Emma has already finished cleaning off the tables and wiping the bar down and even though she knows that she has to be up super early, she is still on a high from the rush of all the socializing she has done tonight. "I'll be fine. I want to help finish up if it means that we get it done faster and can all get out of here together."

Emma does not hear an answer from Regina and realizes that the brunette is probably already outside in the back alley. Moments later, Emma's suspicions are confirmed when the other woman is coming in through the front door with the sign from the sidewalk. Emma rushes over to grab it from Regina so that she can have her hands free for locking the door and is met with a grateful smile. "Emma, take off, we can finish up."

Emma shrugs. "It's not a problem. We're almost done anyway. Where do you want to me to put this thing?"

Regina tells Emma that she can just lean it up against wall beneath the mirror cabinet and when Emma has trouble with it, Regina shows her the trick to keeping it upright. Once they finish, Emma turns to walk back over to the bar and notices that Killian has poured out and lined up three shots of amber liquid and is now waiting for them.

Emma chuckles. "Killian, what the hell are you doing?"

He just smiles at them. " You had a really good first run tonight and I think that we should celebrate."

"Emma has to work in the morning and I swear that you are always looking for an excuse to drink after your shift." Regina says as she walks over to where they are standing.

He smiles at Regina. "Well, I've already poured them. We can't let them go to waste, can we? So if Emma doesn't take this one then you have to take both of these." He pushes two of the shots towards Regina and turns back towards the blonde. "Now Emma, you wouldn't do that to Regina, right?"

Emma laughs again. "Of course, not. Are you trying to get me fired after my first night? I'm in." She reaches over, picks up one of the glasses and holds it up.

Regina looks at her. She is more than a little amused that Emma is always playing along with Killian's silly antics. She wonders if Killian would ever consider a romantic relationship with Emma because she has a feeling that maybe they could be quite good together. Regina looks closely at Emma and studies her face. Well, she is most certainly Killian's type, she thinks. Blonde, green-eyed, and not to mention just as beautiful if not more so than Elle is. Regina's staring makes Emma raise a brow at her in question and it breaks Regina out of reverie. Regina sighs and shakes her head in defeat. "Alright, fine." She picks up the shot glass and holds hers up as well which makes Emma smile happily.

"Excellent!" Killian says as he raises the third shot. "To Emma."

"To Emma." Regina repeats unable to contain the smile that is now on her face.

Emma shakes her head still smiling. "No. To new friends. Cheers."

They clink their glasses and shoot their drinks before turning out all the lights in the bar, locking up, and all going their separate ways.

Weeks later Emma is sitting at the bar after her shift and she is chatting with Regina who is just beginning hers. Regina knows that Killian is on his way to the bar to scoop Emma up so that they could check out a few condos and apartments that she might be interested in. Emma has been diligently looking around for potential living arrangements since she started at the bar but has been very frustrated with how expensive most of the places that she likes are. "I don't really think that I will be about to afford anything in this area. If I do find something, I feel like it will be too tiny for me."

Regina is listening as she is putting away some clean glasses from the morning. "Well, it isn't like you have a ton of furniture, Emma. I'm sure that even if you find a tiny place, it will work out for now. Do you seriously even want to live in downtown Seattle? It will be cheaper to live outside of the city, you know."

Emma knows this, of course, but she really has her heart set on living close to work. "Most of the jobs I am doing are in downtown and obviously, something within walking distance to this place would be fantastic."

Regina frowns. "That sounds nice and all but I really would rather you not walk home from here especially after a closing shift."

Emma just rolls her eyes. In the short time that she has known Regina, she finds that the woman is extremely protective of the people that she cares about. It is flattering, really, that Regina would think about something like her having to walk home by herself at two in the morning when it has not even once crossed Emma's own mind at all. Emma leans up on the counter and flashes her most vibrant smile. "Regina, we can renegotiate those things if I am lucky enough to find a place that close, okay?"

Regina just smiles and shakes her head. She thinks back to her own experience. It took her a very long time to find a place that she liked that was also affordable. After her split with Danielle, she desperately needed a place that she could call her own again and it was very difficult to find anything that was within her budget, so she understands why Emma is so concerned. She thinks that Emma should probably lower her expectations but if there is one thing she has learned about Emma in the last few weeks, it is that the blonde's stubbornness almost surpasses her own. It is not likely that anyone will be able to talk Emma out of something she has already decided on. "Well, if there is anyone out there that can help you find your dream place, I have to say that Killian is your guy. I don't know how many connections he has in this city but he always seems to know someone who knows someone else that can get him a good deal somewhere."

"Yeah, he told me that he found you the condo that you're in now and that it's super cute, right?"

"Yes, he did. Not exactly sure how he did it though because it was like winning the lottery with that place."

It's gotta be that charm that he has oozing out of him constantly." Emma exaggerates that last part while trying to keep a straight face but is not able to. She starts laughing which causes Regina to laugh as well.

When they hear the door open, Emma turns to see that that it's Killian. She turns back to Regina and says just loudly enough so that Killian can hear her as well, "speaking of our devilishly charming friend…" Then she winks at Regina making the brunette smile widely at her and Emma thinks to herself that Regina's smile is just about the prettiest think that she has ever seen.

"It's alright ladies, I get that all the time. I can't help it that my name is constantly on every woman's lips." Killian says as he's wiggling his eyebrows at them. He takes the seat next to Emma. "So, are we in a hurry or can I grab a pint?"

"Killian! We can come back afterwards and I'll buy you all the beer that you can drink. Let's just get this over with."

He jumps off of his seat and reaches out his hand to Emma. "Fine, fine. Let's get a move on then, shall we?"

"YES!" Emma is on her feet now as well and slaps down on Killian's hand, grabbing ahold of his arm instead.

Regina watches them curiously and sees what looks to be a blossoming relationship between Emma and Killian. She cannot explain it but it makes her heart feel a pinch. She finds that she is longing for something similar but has to remind herself that it has not been long enough and that she is nowhere close to being ready to let anyone in again. So, rather than dwell on the feeling, she shakes it off. "Good luck, you two. If I don't see you later tonight, I'm sure I'll hear all about it later in the week."

Killian turns back to Regina with a smirk. "Of course we'll be back tonight, Love. Emma already said that she is buying."

Emma shakes her head before she forces him out of the bar, "we'll definitely see you later, Regina! I'll need something strong after hanging out with this cheeseball all afternoon."

The first three places that they go to see are a bust and Emma is starting to feel discouraged. As they are walking towards the fourth and last place that Killian had on their list of potentials she can no longer hide her unhappiness. "I can't believe this. I'm going to have to live out in the boonies or on the street."

Killian laughs at how dramatic she is being. "Oh, I won't let either of those things happen, Love. I have a pretty good feeling about this last place. It's a one bedroom that's just a little above your budget but there is a balcony, cute European-style kitchenette, and a good-sized bathroom. I think that you will love it."

"I really can't afford a little bit above my budget! I mean, I thought all the places in New York were freaking overly expensive but this is just ridiculous. How can you charge so much for a place that doesn't even have air conditioning?"

Killian walks closer to Emma and hangs his arm around her shoulders. "Emma, just take a breath will you? Calm yourself. We're going to find you a place to live and we'll find it today. Trust me, you'll love this apartment."

Emma hates the apartment. The building looks completely run down and there is, in fact, a balcony but it overlooks an alleyway where a group of the homeless population have made it their permanent campsite. She would not consider it even if it was well under what she is wanting to pay for a place let alone for the rent amount they are actually asking for it. "Killian, I don't think I can handle anymore disappointment today. We should just call it a day and head back to the bar."

Killian frowns but does not argue with her. When they get back to the bar, Regina can see from Emma's expression that the apartment hunting did not go as planned. When Killian heads to the men's room, Emma just slumps into a seat at the bar with her head down and does not speak at all. Regina puts a Makers neat in front of her and when this finally gets her attention, Emma looks up and manages a small smile. It makes Regina happy when she sees Emma smiling again. "Hey there."

"Hi." Emma says meekly.

"I take it you didn't find anything that you liked."

Emma sighs and takes a drink. "Not by a longshot. It was really bad."

Regina actually really hates sharing her space. And she reminds herself that she does not really know Emma all that well. But at the same time, seeing the blonde so upset really tugs at her heartstrings and before she can help it, the words have already slipped out. "My place is not very big but if you need a place to crash, you should know that you're more than welcome to stay with me until you can find a place of your own."

This makes Emma beam. "Regina, that is really nice." But as she is really considering the offer she thinks that maybe having your boss as her roommate is not the brightest idea. Besides, she does not actually know Regina all that well and just the thought of living with the other woman makes her pulse race and her stomach queasy. She catches herself beginning to overthink the whole situation and what she is feeling, so she quickly pushes those thoughts away and adds, "But I just think that I really need a place of my own and I would really hate to put you out."

Regina is about to respond when Killian swings the chair next to Emma around so that he could climb into it. Killian asks her for a beer and she nods as she walks away to pour one. She thinks about her response to Emma's previous statement and starts to speak again but is interrupted when Killian starts to speak.

"You know, we can always make another list of potential homes and try again next week."

Emma sighs but is looking down at her glass. "Yeah, I guess that's my only option right now."

Killian nudges her in the shoulder to get her to look up at him. "And I was just thinking that in the meantime, you can just stay with me so you don't have to continue living at that hotel. I'm a pretty tidy guy and I have a spare bedroom. I think that I'll actually make an alright flatmate."

This makes Emma perk up, "Really? You wouldn't mind?"

Killian is happy to see that this lifts her spirits. "Not in the least, Love."

Regina overhears this conversation and is slightly hurt that Emma takes Killian up on his offer so easily when just a minute ago, she seems so hesitant to take hers. Regina sets Killian's beer down, more forceful than she normally does, causing some of the beer to splash onto the table.

Emma notices the spill and reaches for the rag that they keep behind the bar to wipe it up however, she does not really notice Regina's sudden change in mood. Emma turns towards their bartender with a wide smile, "Regina, it looks like Killian saved you from having to take me in because he says that I can crash with him until I find my own place." As she says this, her phone dings notifying her that she has an email and she is checks it to see that it is a list of jobs from the agency for the following week.

Killian turns and his eyes meets Regina's. He smiles cheerfully, grabs his beer and takes a large drink before turning back to look at Emma who is still looking down at her phone. By the way he is looking at her, Regina is now certain that her previous speculations may be correct. Killian is falling for the blonde. This saddens her unexpectedly and she is unsure why. More than anything, she wants Killian to be happy but right now she finds that she is feeling a mix of emotions that she cannot seem to place nor suppress.

When Emma looks up from her phone, her elation is still very much visible on her face. "Whew. I really feel like I can relax a little now. I really didn't want to stay at that hotel for another month."

Regina forces herself to smile at the blonde. "Well, I'm glad that it all worked out." Then Regina walks around to the other side of the bar to check on a few of the occupied tables in the dining area, but primarily just to give herself some space from Killian and Emma. She spends the rest of the evening internally sulking without much conversation with the pair which goes unnoticed by them because they are too busy making the arrangements for Emma's move. When the they are finally finished, they close their tab and say goodnight to Regina. And after Regina closes the bar that night, she goes home, curls up on the sofa with a glass of wine, and begins reflecting on all the things that she has promised herself she would never think about again.

All of the pain that Regina had thought was long gone is all resurfacing tonight and she is more upset at herself than anything for allowing it to once again consume her every thought. She hates to believe that seeing Killian so happy is the cause of her feeling this way but then again, she has to admit to herself that she is incredibly envious of the man. She could see in his face tonight the appearance of a man full of the joy and enthusiasm that she wonders if she will ever feel again. In the last six months, Regina has not been a stranger to throwing herself a pity party but she knows that right now this is not what she needs. Because it is no longer sadness and depression that she is feeling and in truth, it has not been that in quite some time. No, right now, she is just very angry. Livid because Danielle really made a mess of things and yet, she is not the one having to suffer for it. How is she able to just walk away without once looking back at all the devastation that she has left behind? Moreover, how is she able to live with herself and those decisions that she has made when the result is that she has taken a once confident, smart, and beautiful woman and transformed her into someone who is now barely a shell of her former self. Regina balls her hands up into fists as angry tears are forming and falling down her face. For the first time in a while, she lets herself feel completely heartbroken again. When Regina feels her chest start to constrict making it difficult for her to breathe, it only causes her to cry harder and louder. Eventually, exhaustion overtakes her mind and body and she falls asleep right there in her living room. And when Regina wakes in the morning on the sofa, still in her clothes from the night before, she can still feel the haze from the wine and the weariness from all of the crying.


	8. Eight - If In Doubt, Have A Cup Of Tea

***Author's Note: There's a little bit of everything in this one. I hope you like it-please let me know your thoughts.***

A few hours into his shift, Killian notices that Regina has been quiet for most of the morning. Besides telling him good morning when he arrived, she has not said anything at all. He remembers detecting a change in her mood the night before but at the time, he thought that it would be best not to bring it up in front of Emma. Everyone that knows Regina well, knows that she prefers to keep her business to herself. Killian has spent too much of the last six months really trying to earn her trust and knows he does not want to screw that up in any way.

There is a very hectic Friday lunch rush and Killian is manning the bar and serving the food while Regina is in the kitchen doing all of the cooking When it finally slows down and everyone has been served, Regina comes up front to fill her glass with water. This is when Killian notices for the first time that day that she looks rather tired. Not at all in the sense that she is any less beautiful and put together than she normally is, but her posture and movements seem slouchy and slow. He also observes that Regina has on her glasses today which he knows rarely happens. She will occasionally wear glasses on days that she is working a short shift but never when she supposed to be there all day.

When Regina finally turns towards him so that she can go back into the kitchen, she catches him staring at her. She does not say anything to him but she does not move from her spot either.

Killian sees sadness in her eyes and now that she is finally making eye contact with him for the first time since he started work today, he can see that her eyes look as if she has been crying. He takes a moment to consider his options. He could ask her about it and potentially piss the woman off or he could just leave it and finish off the rest of his shift hoping that when he sees her tomorrow, she will be in better mood. He finally opts for the former. "Hey you. Is everything alright?"

Regina does not answer right away. She looks hesitant and thoughtful. When she finally speaks, her voice is rough and scratchy. "Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm just really tired is all."

Killian pushes back. "Well, I didn't ask if you're going to be alright." She does not respond so he speaks again, "I know that you're going to be alright, Gigi. But, how about in the present?"

Regina notes the use of his nickname for her. He used to switch between that and "Gina" a lot but because he knows that the latter was the name that Danielle always used for her, he tries his best to refrain from it. She remembers when they first started working together that he had told her about a younger cousin that he grew up with named Geraldine. She had passed away at a young age but was like a sister to him and "Gigi" was what he used to call her. Killian said that it suited Regina just as well. So, even though he does not use the name often, she knows that when he does use it, he is just trying to remind her of how important she is to him.

Regina sighs. "I just had a really bad night. I promise that I'm okay now."

Killian furrows his brow frowning at Regina."Why didn't you reach out to me about it last night? You know that I'm here for you."

"Well, you were preoccupied last night." Regina says trying to hide her bitterness.

Killian, however, picks up on the sharpness of her tone. He narrows his eyes at the woman. "Wait, is this about Emma? Are you upset that she's staying with me?"

"No. Why would that make me upset?" Regina lies.

"I haven't the slightest idea." He thinks for a second. "Are you mad at me? If so, Regina, you know that I can be really dense. You need to just tell me what this is about."

"Killian, I don't want to talk about it. Can we please just drop it?" She walks towards the doorway into the kitchen but Killian moves in front of her stopping her. "Killian, there are still customers in the bar. This is hardly appropriate."

He clenches his jaw. "Fine. But we aren't finished here. I'm not leaving here today until we talk about this, Regina." Then he steps off to the side letting her pass.

At around three in the afternoon, Regina hears a light knock on her office door. She turns to see Killian standing there so she puts her pen down and turns her chair towards him. "I going to assume that you're in here because everyone out there has left."

He nods. "I've put on some hot water so we can make some tea. Will you please join me?"

Regina takes her glasses off and pinches the bridge of her nose. She is really not in the mood to have this conversation. Not after the night she has had. "Can we not…"

Killian however, does not backing down. "Please, Regina. Just talk to me."

Regina sighs and puts her glasses back on. She gets up and walks past Killian and into the front of the bar. She sees that there are two mugs with the teabags set out and grabs one filling it with the hot water that is also already prepared and sitting in the coffee carafe. When it is filled, she sets it down to let it steep and looks up again to see Killian doing the same with his mug.

It is no surprise to Killian that Regina does not say anything so he speaks up first. "Regina, whatever I did to make you upset, I hope you know that it was unintentional. I would never-"

The last things she wants is for Killian to think that he wronged her in any way so she stops him before he can finish his thought. "Killian, you didn't do anything. I just..." She pauses for a second so that she can gather her thoughts. "I saw the way you were with Emma last night and it made me really wish that I could just move on and forget everything that's happened. I was upset because you looked so happy and then it escalated to anger when I realized that I don't know how to be happy like that anymore."

Killian is shaking his head. "Regina, are you saying that you think that I've moved on? And onto Emma?" He laughs at how ridiculous it all sounds. "Regina, what I went through with Elle is not something that I can just move on from. She was-is the love of my life. And believe me, every morning when I get out of bed, I still think about her. I really hate myself for it."

Regina is taken aback by his confession but does not say anything. She does however, feel both ashamed and embarrassed that she has made an inaccurate assumption.

Killian continues, "Emma is a friend. She doesn't know anyone in this city. I was trying to be a gentleman. If you had seen how disheartened she was when we left that last apartment building yesterday, you would have offered up your place, too."

"I did, actually." Regina says quietly.

"What?"

"I did offer for Emma to stay at my place. I did it right before you did and she turned me down. She was so quick to accept your invitation, I guess that I just thought-maybe she is the one that wants more than friendship from you." Regina shrugs.

Killian sighs. "If she does then she's really just shit out of luck. I haven't got my heart back from the last one to give to her. Or to give to anyone else." He picks up his tea and blows on it so that he can cool it enough to take a drink.

Regina grabs hers as well and they stand there in silence for a minute. "I'm sorry for snapping at you."

Killian looks up then and smiles at Regina. "That was hardly you snapping, Love. I've seen you snap at people and I would never want to be caught in the crosshairs of that nasty business."

Regina smiles for the first time all day but it disappears with her next thought. "Every once in awhile, I catch myself thinking about how I may still be in love with Danielle. I mean, why else would it be so hard for me to let it go?"

"Well, all of it is still pretty fresh, isn't it? Wounds like that don't just heal in a few months. Regina, please just come to me the next time you are having it bad. You're one of my closest friends. I don't like coming into work seeing that you've spent all night crying. It makes me feel like I'm not doing my job properly."

"It's not really your job to make sure that I don't go off the deep end."

"No, you're right. That's your job. But, when you can't manage it all at once, I'm here. Regina, please stop pushing me away."

"I know." She nods.

"Are we good then?" Killian asks.

"Yeah, we're good." She smiles and then finishes her cup of tea. "Now, get out of here and go take a break. Emma should be here soon and you have to be back here in a few hours."

"I'm gonna go grab a sandwich, then. Have you eaten?"

"I have a salad in the fridge."

"Very well. But you better eat." Killian tells her because he knows how she neglects herself when she is distressed or too busy.

Regina nods and watches Killian grab his jacket. When he is nearly out the door, she calls after him. "Hey..." Killian stops and turns back towards Regina. She walks over and hugs him. "Thank you. For being a good friend. And for forcing me to talk when you know that I don't want to."

Killian hugs her back and laughs. "I'd expect the same from you."

* * *

"EMMA, I COULD SLAP YOU!"

Emma flinches. "Geezus, Ruby. That's my ear that you just fucking screamed into."

Ruby could not care any less at the moment. "I can't believe that you moved in with your hot-ass bartender friend and you didn't even tell me. I had to find out through a picture that he tagged you in. Some best friend you are, Emma Swan."

Emma grunts in irritation. She has finally checked out of the hotel and has moved her things into Killian's place. She has only been there for a little over a week and she had planned to tell Ruby right after she got settled in, but then Killian goes and snaps a candid picture of her lounging on his couch with pizza and beer and even posts it on his Facebook page announcing it to everyone before she could even send a text to Ruby. She knew the second that she got the Facebook notification that she was going to be in the doghouse as far as Ruby is concerned. And Emma does know that she has been a terrible friend. "Rubes, I swear that I was going to tell you. I have been so busy with work and that night was my one night off. I have been so tired."

Ruby does not buy that for a second. Emma hurt her and she is not going to back down. "Right. Because I can totally tell that you were so exhausted from that picture of you laughing your ass off at whatever was on TV with that beer in your hand. Em, I'm not stupid. How much time would it have taken for you to type out a few words to your best friend? It's like you packed up all your shit and decided to leave New York, you find yourself a brand new life, and now you barely have time for anyone else? That's bullshit and you know it."

Emma can tell Ruby is really upset. Her friend spends a lot of time joking around but Emma can always hear it in Ruby's voice when she is dead serious about something. Not only does she feel extremely guilty, she is also very disappointed in herself because in a lot of ways, Ruby is right. It would not have taken her very long to just type up a message or dial Ruby's number on her way to work every once in awhile and yet, she has not even thought about doing so in the last month. "Rubes…"

"It's okay. Really, forget that I even brought it up. I don't even know what I was trying to accomplish by calling you. I really, really wanted to make you feel like shit for it but talking about it only makes me feel worse."

And this does make Emma feel worse than she already does. "Rubes, you are right. I'm an ass and I am so sorry for being MIA. You know that you're my person and that I can't lose you, right?" The line is still silent so Emma continues, "I'm only staying with Killian for as long as it takes for me to get my own place and when I do, I want you to come stay with me."

Ruby sighs. "Yeah, we'll see. Anyway, I have to go. My break is almost over and I have to run back inside. I'll just talk to you later."

"Yeah, okay. Love you." All Emma hears after that is silence from the ended call. "Shit." Emma knows that she needs to do some damage control and she needs to think of something quickly so she immediately calls hers and Ruby's favorite pastry shop in New York and begs them for a favor. Fortunately, the owner knows the two of them very well and agrees to help her out without any additional charges for the last minute delivery or the impromptu decorating request.

Then Emma waits. Within the hour, she receives a picture message from Ruby of a small Italian cream cake, Ruby's most favorite, with the words " _I'm sorry_ " and " _I love you_ " written in chocolate icing. Emma is replying to the message when another comes through. " _You're still an ass, Swan. And I'm still mad at you."_ it reads, followed immediately by another message, _"But I guess that I love you, too."_ Emma smiles and apologizes again. She also tells Ruby that she has an all day shift today but she promises that she will text her every chance she gets.

Emma smiles to herself, relieved. With that crisis averted, Emma feels like she is now able to relax as she gets ready to go into work.

When Emma walks into the bar, both Killian and Regina are behind the bar. There are a handful of customers having lunch but it is not very busy yet. Regina smiles when she sees her walking up and Emma realizes that she has not seen Regina at all in the last week. "Hey you. I haven't seen you all week! I've missed your face," she says to Regina.

"You probably only feel that way because you've been seeing so much of Killian." She chuckles and adds, "I couldn't imagine both living and working with him."

Emma smirks at Regina. "No, that's not true at all. But you're probably right about seeing Killian too much even though he's actually an okay roommate. I've definitely lived with worse people."

"You two do know that I'm standing right here, right?"

Emma winks at Regina before she answers Killian, "Oh hey, didn't even see you there. I must have been too focused on the pretty lady I was talking to." From the corner of her eye, Emma sees Regina shyly dip her head as she smiles at the compliment and it makes her smile to herself triumphantly.

"Har. Har. Real funny, Swan." Killian says as he throws the bar rag at Emma.

Emma catches it and throws it back at him which he deflects. The rag hits a bottle of vodka that is behind Killian knocking it over. He catches it quickly before it hits the ground "Holy shit. Good save, Killian!" Emma turns to Regina to see that she is glaring at them.

Regina shakes her head. "If you break it, you're buying a replacement."

Emma smiles shyly as she straightens up and scowls at Killian for getting her in trouble with Regina. He just laughs at her.

Regina walks into the back area and reappears with her jacket. "Alright, I'm going to get out of here and let you two work. Emma, will you let me know what your weekend is going to look like? Just text or email me your schedule when you hear from the agency."

"Aww what? I'm closing with Killian again? Why don't I ever work with you anymore?" This comes out whinier than Emma wants but she finds that she is genuinely disappointed.

Regina shrugs. "I have kickboxing tonight. And you always have other jobs scheduled on the nights that Killian needs off so he's just been taking a lot of the same shifts as you."

"Oh. Well, that's a bummer." Emma pouts.

It is so difficult for Regina to not give in to those sad green eyes. "When you send me your new schedule, I'll take a look and make sure we get some time together next week."

Emma smiles when she hears this. "Alright. I'm going to hold you to that." She does not know why but that alone makes her day. "Thanks, boss." Regina rolls her eyes and smirks at Emma before saying her goodbyes and walking out the door.

After an hour or so a few more people come into the bar. Most of them are just having drinks so they order with Emma at the bar while two others are an older couple that seats themselves at one of the smaller high top tables. Emma recognizes them right away as the husband and wife that she sang karaoke with her very first night of work. Emma walks up to their table to greet them cheerily. "Hi there. Janie, right? And Joe?"

"Hello Emma!" Joe says excitedly. "It's so good to see you again. We haven't seen you in some time and didn't know if you had actually stuck around."

Emma smiles. "Oh, I've stuck around, alright. I just have another job too so my schedule is pretty sporadic. You two still come in on Thursday nights to steal the show?"

Janie laughs. "We are here as often as we are able to make the walk. Joe loves Regina's burgers."

"Oh, yeah. Those suckers are really good." Emma agrees. "So, should I get some burgers started for you?"

"Yes, please. Two burgers with everything and one side of fries." Joe tells Emma.

Emma nods. "Alright. And something to drink?"

"Two iced teas, please." Janie says.

"You got it, guys. Coming right up!"

Emma walks back to the bar and enters the order into the computer. She fills two glasses with iced teas and brings them to the table. When the order is up she quickly walks it over to a very grateful Janie and Joe.

Killian is in the back cooking tonight so it is just her tending bar and watching the dining room. It is a pretty slow night so she leans back onto the counter and just lets her mind wander. For whatever reason, she starts thinking about Regina at her kickboxing class. She smiles as she imagines the woman all dressed in workout gear, kicking her sparring partner's ass. Emma realizes that with the exception of these random tidbits, she does not actually know very much about the brunette and yet, she feels very close to her. She has to admit, part of the reason that she wants to work the same shifts as Regina is so she can try to get to know her better. Afterall, Killian and Regina are her only friends in the area and she already knows Killian plenty well.

She pushes herself off the counter and makes her rounds, picking up some empty glasses and taking orders for more drinks. After she drops off the round of beers to the people who have migrated to area with the pool table, she heads back over to Joe and Janie to see how the are doing.

They have finished their food and thank Emma as she clears their dishes. When she comes back around to fill their teas, they see Killian at the bar and wave him over.

"Hello, you two. I had a feeling those were for you when I saw that order." Killian leans in and gives Janie a side hug before reaching out his hand to shake Joe's.

"It was very good as always." Janie says. "No Regina tonight?"

Emma answers this time. "No ma'am. It's her night off."

"Well, that's very good to hear." Joe says. "She hardly ever takes time off."

Killian nods. "Yes, with Emma's help now, both Regina and I are able to work a little less."

"I think that you better take good care of this one then." Janie says as she pats Emma lightly on her arm which makes both Emma and Killian smile.

"Of course." Killian agrees.

"Well, kids, Janie and I had better head on out of here. We have tenants moving out of our rental a few blocks from here and we were going to stop by to see if there was anything that they needed help with."

This gets Emma's attention. "A rental house?"

"It's just a condo that we bought for our daughter years ago. She lives in Texas with her family now so we rent it out." Joe tells her.

"So, you have tenants moving out...do you have any new renters lined up?" Emma thinks that with the current housing market the way that it is, they probably already have a list of potential renters so any chances that it is still vacant is just wishful thinking on her part.

"We have a few people coming by next week to take a look at it. If you know anyone interested and would like to refer someone, Joe and I would much rather rent to someone we know."

Before Emma can say anything, Killian beats her to it. "Actually, Emma has been looking for a place to rent. And I can most certainly be her character reference."

"Well Emma, you are more than welcome to come take a look at the place. It's a small place. Just one bedroom, about six hundred square feet. But, for one or even two people, it works alright." Joe tells her.

Emma is ecstatic. "It'll just be me. And seriously? I would love to come take a look. When do your tenants move out?"

"They should be completely out before the end of the weekend."

"May I ask you how much you're asking for as far as the monthly rent?"

Janie speaks up, "Well, dear, why don't you come take a look at it first and we can work out the numbers later?"

"Okay, sure. Can I stop by maybe Sunday?"

The couple look at each other for a moment trying to determine what their Sunday schedule looks like. Then Joe says, "I think that works for us. Let me write down our phone number for you and you can give us a call Sunday morning and we can set something up."

"Great!" Emma reaches into her back pocket and pulls out her notepad and hands that along with her pen to Joe who writes his phone number down for her. "Thank you so much. I really look forward to seeing the place on Sunday."

They say their goodbyes and Emma and Killian go back to work. When they are closing down the bar that night Emma is talks to Killian about how excited she is. Even though she does not want to get her hopes up, Killian tries to convince her otherwise. He reminds her that Joe and Janie are good friends of Regina's and that they would surely help her out. Emma sincerely hopes that it is true.

She had sent Ruby a message earlier in the evening sharing her good news. After the mess earlier in the day, she wanted to make sure Ruby is once again the first person that she tells everything to. Ruby seemed excited for her and sent good vibes to Emma in the form of the kiss emoji. That night she falls asleep thinking about how after almost four months in Seattle, she might be finally starting to settle in.


	9. Nine - To Sleep, Perchance To Dream

***Author's Note: I know that it's been quite the wait but Emma and Regina will finally get a chapter together. I think that there is always something about a shopping trip that can really make a break a relationship. (: Also, I will be starting grad school this week so even though I really want to continue with regular, weekly updates, I don't really know what my schedule is going to look like yet. I'd really appreciate all the encouragement that I can get and I hope that you like this update.***

Emma is absolutely thrilled as she is leaving Joe's and Janie's rental. The place is perfect. It is a tad small, yes, but she thinks that it will be just the right size for her. There is even a spot for her to park her bug right outside which is something she has heard is very difficult to find in the city. The couple is more than gracious, telling Emma that any friend of Regina's is a friend of theirs and offered Emma the condo to Emma at a rental price that she can afford. In return, Emma promises that she will be the best tenant they have ever had.

By the time she makes it back to the bar that Sunday afternoon, she is on a high from her excitement. Killian and Regina both look at her curiously as she pulls herself onto one of the barstools. "Guys, I have a place to live! And they told me that I can move in immediately." Emma pulls a set of keys from her pockets waving them.

Killian smiles at how happy Emma is but decides to throw a jab her way anyway. "Well, that really is exciting news. I'll have the telly zapper to myself again. No more insufferable reality television shows."

Regina laughs at this as she is imagining Killian and Emma fighting over the remote control but when she sees Emma glaring in their direction, she stops herself and clears her throat still smiling at the blonde. "So, it all worked out then. That's great to hear."

"Yes, it really did. I'm just so relieved. Contrary to what you two probably think, I really did not want to be taking up Killian's spare bedroom for forever." Emma sticks her tongue out at Killian and scrunches her face. Killian returns the gesture.

Regina shakes her head and chuckles, "Okay, children. You two need to play nice."

Killian and Emma both laugh at Regina's comment. Then Killian asks, "So, when are you going to start moving your things? You need any help?"

"I'm actually headed back to your place right now to grab my stuff. And then I have to go get some furniture. I really hadn't thought about it but when I was walking over here, I realized that I don't have anything to my name because I left it all in New York. I figured that if I can at least just grab a new bed today so that I have something to sleep on, I can get other furniture later. Do you have time to go shopping with that today?" Emma asks in a hopeful tone.

"Ah, I'm closing today. But Regina here is going to be finished with work in about an hour or so."

Regina hears her name so she looks up from whatever she is reading on her phone to both Killian and Emma looking at her. "What was that? I'm sorry. I'm afraid that I missed what you were talking about. Were you saying something to me?"

"Well, Emma was just saying-"

Emma stops him. "It was nothing Regina. I was just checking with Killian on his work schedule to see if he could help me with mattress shopping today."

Regina raises her eyebrow. "Did you need someone to go with you today? I don't really have plans tonight. I can switch with Killian and close instead."

"What? No. I don't want you to do that." Emma hesitates for a second trying to decide whether she should just ask Regina to help her. She really does want to spend more time with Regina and get to know her better but is not sure why she cannot ever seem to work up the courage to ask her. The woman is still so very intimidating to Emma for reasons she has yet to figure out. Emma then looks over at Killian and he just winks at her. Emma has had this conversation with Killian before. He has told her his concern with Regina being cooped up at home on her days off and has told Emma that she should take the initiative in getting the other woman out of the house more often. So, Emma just smiles and adds, "Since you don't have other plans, did you want to come with me to pick out a few things for my new place?"

Regina is surprised by Emma's question but earnestly considers it for a moment. "I suppose that I could do that. I'm not sure that I will actually be much help though."

"Well, I really just need someone to help me test out a mattress." When Emma says this, she notices that Regina turns red in the face and she immediately corrects herself. "I mean, I'll need a second opinion. I'm terrible at picking these kinda things out."

Regina chuckles nervously and is obviously embarrassed because she could still feel the heat in her face. "I'll do my best. So, do you want to just wait for me here or do I have time to run home to change into something that doesn't smell like food?"

"I actually want to run back to Killian's really quick and move my suitcases to the condo first. And then maybe I can just meet you at your place, pick you up and we can leave from there?"

"Sure, that works. I'll just text you my address. I can probably be ready by three-ish."

Emma is delighted. "Great. I'm going to get out of here then. Just text me the address when you can and I'll see you in a bit." Then Emma pushes herself off of her seat and basically bounces out the door.

Killian, who has been observing the recent interactions between his two lady friends, is suddenly very interested in what just transpired. He does not see it often, but lately there has been a strange tension between the two women and he wonders if he may be misinterpreting it as a possible spark. Obviously, Regina has an affinity for the ladies and he has not necessarily picked up anything from Emma that tells him that she leans either way. "Hmm. That's interesting." He thinks to himself but aloud without meaning to.

"What's interesting?" Regina questions.

"Oh…" Killian chuckles. "It's nothing. I was just thinking about something I have to do later tonight." He lies. "So, I'm glad to see that you're spending your night off doing something that isn't just sitting in your apartment."

"I do go out and do things. I started that kickboxing class. And I joined a book club."

"Right..." He just smiles at her.

"I'm fine, Killian. Stop treating me like I'm fragile."

"I never said that you were. I'm just glad that you're getting along with Emma and you're helping her out with this, that's all."

"You're acting strange," is all Regina says to him as she shakes her head and then heads into the back to finish up a few things so that she can leave. The last thing she hears is Killian laughing in reply to her comment.

* * *

"Hey Em, I just got your message. This is great news! And I'm ready to pack my bags, just tell me when."

Emma laughs. "Well, give me a week or two, will ya? I have to at least somewhat furnish the place before you come stay."

"We could just get you another blow-up living room set like the one that we used for a whole month and a half when you first moved to New York." Ruby is laughing now just thinking about the bright blue sofa that took them nearly all afternoon to blow up because Emma forgot to buy the pump to go with it.

"Yeah, Rubes, because that would be real classy. Seriously though, I'm actually going to buy a real bed for the first time in my life today. Can you believe that I'm in my thirties and I've never purchased a bed of my own?"

"Well, my friend, you're finally a big kid now. I'm so proud of you."

They are both laughing again and Emma cannot believe how long it has been since she has seen her best friend. "I seriously miss you so much. So, I did take a look at the calendar earlier today and was wondering if you be able to break away from work in a couple of weeks so that you're here for the weekend of Halloween? We can check out the Seattle party scene together, maybe wreak some havoc?"

This definitely gets Ruby's attention. "Oh, hell yeah. That's perfect actually because I was not ready to spend Halloween by myself. I can put in a request for it first thing in the morning. How long do you think you'll want me there before you get tired of me? Because I have been hoarding a ton of vacation time and I'm ready to use it."

"However long you want, really. We lived together for almost four years before, Rubes. You know that I have never gotten tired of you. I will probably not take any shifts with the staffing agency and just work at the bar while you're here. And you could either just chill at my place or come hang out there when I do have a shift. I'm sure that Killian and Regina will be completely cool with that."

"Okay, I'll just talk to the boss and I'll let you know once I get everything booked."

"YES! Alright, hot stuff, I have to get off of here because I'm back at Killian's and I have to move some stuff over to the new place before I go get this bed. I'll send you some pictures tonight and you can help me with some interior decorating."

"Yeah, okay. I'll talk to you later then. Love you, babe."

"Love you, too." Emma ends the call and sees that she has a text message from Regina. Emma opens it to find the woman's address so she saves it into her phone for later. She puts the phone back into her back pocket and runs up the stairs two at a time until she reaches the door.

* * *

Regina feel anxious and moody as they make their way towards IKEA. They are at a stoplight when she looks over to see that Emma is still sulking. "Emma, I don't understand why are you so bothered that we are taking my car instead of yours."

When Emma arrived at Regina's complex, the brunette was already out front waiting for her. Regina waves her down and then tells her to wait so that she can pull out of her parking spot. That way Emma could park her car there instead and they could take her SUV to the other part of town. "I just wanted to drive is all. I don't get why we couldn't just take the Bug."

Regina is frustrated when she asks, "Really? You really don't see why my SUV would be the more practical choice than your Bug in this situation? We are going furniture shopping, Emma. It's not like we are going on a trip to the farmer's market which even if that were the case, I would still be skeptical that you'd have enough space for groceries. How did you manage to ever move all the way from New York in that thing?"

Emma loves her Bug. It was the first car that she ever bought for herself when she was just leaving home and even though it is old, that car has served her well. She cannot help but feel a little hurt by what Regina just said.

Emma does not respond and Regina can tell that she probably should have backed down on the subject. Regina frowns. "Emma, look, I'm sorry. I just really wanted to help."

Emma looks over to see that Regina looks genuinely upset. She knows that the other woman is right, she just really hates admitting it. "I know, Regina. I'm sorry. I was just being an asshole. Just ignore me when I get that way."

This lightens the mood and a short moment later Regina is laughing as she says, "I didn't think that I'd ever meet someone who could be as stubborn as I am. You definitely give me a run for my money, Emma Swan." Regina cannot help smiling when this makes Emma laugh and she suddenly feels better about the whole trip.

As soon as they get into the parking lot of IKEA, Regina remembers why she hates coming here. There are swarms of people everywhere and the traffic that has built up around the building is terrible. "Ugh, what is it with this place that always has people crowded here. It's as if they are giving the furniture out for free or something."

Emma feels bad because she can hear the irritation in Regina's voice. "It's probably just because it is a Sunday. I really, really appreciate you coming here with me, Regina. You'll have to let me buy you dinner afterwards."

Regina softens, "Emma, it's fine, really. Like I said before, I'm glad to help."

Emma smiles timidly and adds, "Well, you have to at least let me buy you a cinnamon roll."

"Let's just pray that we actually make it inside before they close. Now, quit trying to distract me with the mentions of food and keep your eyes open for a parking spot."

Once inside, they each grab a bag for anything that Emma might see that she wants for the condo. They quickly walk through each section taking shortcuts when necessary so that they can get to the areas that Emma needs to be. Emma has already considered all of the things that she will probably need right away and has compiled her shopping list prioritizing those items. They move as quickly as possible from showcase to showcase grabbing just a few things here and there until they get to the bedroom section where the mattresses are.

"What size do you think I should get, Regina?" Emma asks as she scans the room before sitting on the one closest to her testing out the firmness of it.

"You probably should look for at least a queen. I haven't seen the place. How big is the bedroom?"

"Eh...it's big enough for a king, I think. But the question is, will I need a bed that big? What size is your bed?"

Regina just shrugs. "That's really up to you. Mine is a California king." And Regina wants to add that it was once a bed for two however, she keeps it to herself. Regina remembers when Danielle insisted that they get a bed that was comfortable and large enough because they would be spending a lot of time in it. She shakes herself out of the memory and pushes the thought to the back of her mind.

Emma thinks that she will probably go with one of the foam mattresses so she walks towards the selection. Emma sits on one of them and then lays back so that she can test it. It feels like it would be comfortable enough. Emma's biggest worry is that beds too soft tend to make her body ache when she gets up in the morning. The foam ones, as she suspected, are not too soft nor too firm. She pulls herself up and looks for Regina. Regina is a few feet away looking at some of the bedding selections. "Hey, Regina. Come lay down on this one with me."

Regina walks over and sits on the very edge of the bed that Emma is already sitting on. When she puts her hand down to feel the mattress, her right one settles on the same spot that Emma already has her hand. Emma pulls her hand away while muttering an apology and moves over to her right so that Regina has a bit more room. Regina bounces a couple of times on the mattress before replying, "This seems pretty good. I don't really know how you like to sleep though."

Emma laughs, "Well, I love to sleep so this is going to be a big deal to me. Lay down with me." Emma lays back again.

Regina turns her body to look down at the blonde. "Do you think that's really necessary."

"Of course I do! Or else I wouldn't have asked." Then she is pulling herself up again and grabbing Regina by the shoulders pulling her down onto the bed with her. They are only a few inches away from each other and when Emma turns her face so that she can look at Regina, she swears that she can smell the soap or shampoo that the other woman uses. Emma has noticed before how beautiful Regina is, but being this close to her, she thinks that the woman is practically flawless and it makes her breathless for a moment. Once she is able to compose herself she asks Regina again, this time her voice coming out smaller than she is anticipating. "So, what do you think?"

Regina can sense that Emma is looking at her but does not turn her head. Part of the reason being that sometimes she feels that Emma makes her nervous in a way that she does not really expect but also because she is worried that she will not be able to hide her awkwardness if she turns towards the blonde. "It's nice. I think that it's comfortable enough." Then she pushes herself up with her elbows and stands up getting off of the bed.

Emma gets up as well and smiles. "I guess I'll get this one then. You've talked me into it."

She picks out a frame as well and writes down all the information that they will need for when they go to look for it in the warehouse. She lets Regina pick out the bedding or in truth, she forces her to do so. She tells Regina that she wants her to feel like she has been able to contribute something to this shopping excursion. After some coaxing, Regina finally picks out a set of plain gray bedsheets and one of the lighter down comforters.

When they finally arrive at the warehouse section of the store and find a flatbed cart, they also have two bags full of lamps, light bulbs, begging, dishes, eating utensils, some picture frames, and few other knick knacks that Emma saw along the way. They find the aisles that they need and the two of them stack the boxes onto the flatbed with little trouble.

Regina looks at her watch and sees that they have been shopping for a couple hours. She thinks that by the time they finish up and get everything back to Emma's place, she will be starving. At home, she had taken out some chicken to thaw so that she could cook herself dinners but it seems that there will probably not be enough time for it. "Emma, I know that you mentioned getting dinner together earlier and it's nearly six. Did you want to pick something up before we get you back home?"

Emma considers this for a moment. "I want to buy you dinner, for sure. But I kinda need to get this bed put together tonight or I'll be sleeping on the floor. What would I have to do to convince you to come over and help me get this thing assembled? I'll buy pizza and beer? Or burgers and nachos. I know that's your favorite…"

Regina laughs. She is actually quite impressed with Emma's memory. They talked about that the very first time they had a conversation and it really has not been brought up again. "Alright. I can do that. And pizza and beer is just fine."

"YES!" Emma says and she pumps her arm in the air. Then she crosses her arms nervously and shyly adds, "Um, so also, I may need to borrow some tools if you have any. I don't really have anything except for a Phillips head and I keep it in the bug so I don't even have that with me right now."

"Oh, I see. So, you buy the pizza and beer and in exchange I have to supply the tools and the manual labor. Suddenly, I'm not really seeing the appeal." Regina says as seriously as she can but when she sees that Emma has a look of guilt on her face, she reaches over lightly touching Emma's arm. "Hey, I am only kidding. A casual dinner while we put together your new bed sounds lovely. We'll just swing by my apartment so you can pick up your car and I'll run inside and grab my toolbox and follow you back to the condo." Regina smiles hoping that helps to reassure the blonde.

"Only if you're sure. I really didn't mean to take up your whole evening."

"Of course I'm sure. Now let's get into one of these dreadfully long lines and see about getting the hell out of here."

Emma smiles and nods. Then she spots something on an endcap behind Regina and her eyes widen in excitement. She quickly runs over to grab one of the packages and she brings it back to their cart. "Ha! I found the cinnamon rolls. This is definitely going to be our dessert."

Regina just shakes her head in amusement as they push forward into the closest checkout line.


	10. Ten - Becoming Friends

***Author's Note: Hello everyone! I have been on a frenzy with writing this weekend. I probably should be doing more homework and less of this but I couldn't really help myself. So, when I started this story, I wrote the very beginning, the middle (the exciting part), and the ending. And I have been just filling in as I get inspiration. Well, I have finally caught up to the middle part of the story and am thrilled because after I go over it a couple more times, I will be able to post a total of three chapters this weekend. This is the first of the three which is the highly anticipated scene of Regina and Emma opening up to each other a bit more. As always, I would really like to know your thoughts!***

Emma finishes up her response to a text message from Killian and sends it when they are at a stop light just a few blocks from Regina's apartment. She turns to Regina and says, "So, I think that I'm going to take off as soon as you drop me off at the car because I want to make a stop by the corner store to get us some beer. I can just shoot you the address really quick so you can put it into your GPS. Will that work?"

"Yes, of course. That will be fine." Regina says.

"Oh, and by the way, I know that I was being a child about it earlier but thanks for driving. You were right. There's no way in hell any of this was going to fit into my car." Emma laughs shyly.

Regina smirks because not only does she love hearing that she is right but also because she is surprised that Emma is being apologetic about it. "Don't even worry about that. It was my pleasure." As she finishes her thought, they pull up to where Emma's Bug is parked. "Here we are, Miss Swan. You are good to go."

Emma laughs at the name that Regina uses. "That sounds so weird. I think that the last time anyone's called me that, I was in grade school." Emma grabs the smaller shopping bags she has had sitting down by her feet and takes them with her. "Well, thank you again, Miss Mills." She says to Regina with a huge grin on her face. "So, I'll see you in a quick sec?"

"Yes." Regina chuckles and nods. Then she watches as Emma drives away before she parks and runs inside to get what she needs.

As it turns out, Emma is located right up the street from where the bar is so Regina is able to find it easily. When Regina arrives, she sees that Emma has parked on the street leaving her a spot to back her SUV in for them to unload the boxes. Regina parks and by the time she gets out of the car and walks around to unlock the hatch in the back, Emma is already waiting there for her.

It takes them about fifteen minutes to get everything into the condo and when they finally have all of the boxes inside, Emma unwraps and cleans the new dishes that she just purchased so they will have something to use for the pizza when it arrives. Minutes later, someone is knocking on the door with their dinner. Emma pays for the food and begins laying it out on the kitchen counter for her and Regina. Emma looks up to see Regina is still looking around the condo taking in what is currently mostly just empty space.

When Regina notices that Emma is looking at her, she smiles and says, "It's a really nice place, Emma. I don't think Janie had ever mentioned that they owned a condo so close to the bar."

"Yeah, it really is exactly what I wanted-a place that's within walking distance to work and it's actually a pretty good- sized place. I'm really relieved, to be honest."

"I'll bet that you are. Although, I still don't agree that you walking to and from work on the nights that you will be closing the bar is something that I will be comfortable with." Regina frowns.

"Regina, it is literally a straight shot, it'll maybe take me seven or eight minutes."

"But at two in the morning?" Regina asks.

Emma rolls her eyes and replies. "Believe me, I've walked around in areas that are much worse than this in New York. I can definitely take care of myself." Before Regina can even reply, she continues, "So, you ready to eat or what, boss? I got a pepperoni pizza over here and a veggie one also. I hope that you don't mind but I texted Killian earlier to ask him what he thought you might like.

Regina's eyes widen in surprise, their previous conversation already forgotten. "Oh. You didn't have to do that. I'm not really that picky."

Emma laughs. "Well, that's not what I hear."

"Well, whatever it is you may have heard are all lies." Regina says as she smiles. "But, thank you, that was very kind of you to check with him first."

Emma returns her smile and just shrugs.

Regina removes her jacket placing it on top of one of the boxes in the living room area and then walks towards Emma in the kitchen. Emma passes her a plate and opens up a bottle of beer handing that to her as well. Regina thanks her and takes two slices of the veggie pizza while Emma fills her plate with two slices of each. Regina takes a seat on one of the boxes that is holding Emma's new bed frame and Emma finds a spot on another box across from her.

The two women eat quietly for a few minutes and then Emma takes a swig of her beer and asks, "So, Janie and Joe seem to be very good friends of yours. Is that just because they come to the bar a lot?

Regina nods trying to swallow her bite of pizza before she answers. "Well, not exactly. I think that I told you this already but I bought the bar from an older gentleman that was trying to retire for a long time."

"Oh, right. And he didn't know what to do with the bar." Emma says.

Regina nods. "Yes, that was Janie's father, Walter. Thinking about it now, it has been about 6 years now so that's how long I've known Janie and Joe. Walt still comes around to surprise us every once in awhile but he's been doing a lot of traveling since he gave up the bar. I don't know where he gets his energy from. The man was nearly eighty years old when he sold the bar." Regina smiles fondly thinking about her old friend.

"Oh, wow. That's pretty cool. They really love you a lot. I mean, all they ever talk about is how great you are and I guess they're pretty spot on." Emma smiles as she takes another huge bite of her pizza.

Regina blushes at the compliment but does not acknowledge it. "They are both the sweetest. Janie has always been very grateful that I was able to convince her father to retire. So, for the first few years, when I wouldn't be able to make it home for the holidays, they would invite me to their house to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with them. And then last year, I helped Janie to convince Joe to finally retire as well. She says that I'm her retirement whisperer. " Regina laughs. "But I'm really happy they had this place vacant and that the timing worked out so well for you. You looked so devastated when you and Killian couldn't find anything that you liked."

Emma laughs. "I can laugh about it now but that was actually very heartbreaking. I think maybe I had my hopes too high. Plus, Killian talks a lot of game but most of the places he liked were so shady! The two of you made me think that it was going to be a breeze."

Regina gets up to grab more pizza. "I said no such thing. All that I insinuated was that Killian would be the best man for the job." Regina says. "Would you like anything else while I'm up?"

Emma nods with her mouth full and just holds up two fingers. "Two, please." She adds.

Regina shakes her head and puts the two slices on her plate so she can bring it back to Emma. She is very surprised that Emma can eat as much as she does and still manages to keep her perfect figure. She walks back to where Emma is and sits down reaching out her plate so that Emma can take the pizza.

"Thanks. So, my best friend Ruby has been wanting to come visit and that couldn't really happen until I found a place of my own. When I told her about this place, she was pretty excited also."

"She lives in New York?"

"Yeah. I miss her a lot. She is probably the only reason I'd ever stay there and she knows it. But, she also knows that I needed to do this. You know, get away for a while."

Regina does not push or pry knowing that Emma dislikes talking about her reasons for leaving the East coast. "It must be nice to have someone that knows you so well. I can't really say that I have very many close friends. Marian, Robin, and Killian are about the only people that I ever see outside of work."

Emma feigns hurt and disappointment. "Uh, hello. What am I? Chopped liver?"

Regina smiles. "Well, today is the only time we've seen each other outside of work so I couldn't very well add you to the list yet. I'll be sure to reassess and maybe you will get added on. Or, maybe not. You will just have to see."

Emma returns her smile. "You and Ruby would get along really well, I think. She's a huge smartass, just like you."

"She sounds lovely." Regina says genuinely.

Emma nods. "She really is. She is probably going to be here for a couple weeks around the end of the month. She's excited to meet you and Killian. She thinks that Killian and I have a thing going on between us, so that will be interesting."

"A thing?" Regina asks curiously.

Emma shrugs. "You know, like a THING. Something between us that is more than just friends."

"Hmm...well, is there?"

Emma laughs. "Really, Regina? No! And I'm sure you would know if there was. Killian probably tells you everything. I mean, he's handsome enough and certainly charming, but that's exactly the kind of guy that always gets me in trouble."

Regina raises an eyebrow. "That's interesting."

"What? What's interesting?

"I don't know. Just the fact that he's your type, I suppose."

Emma smirks. "Well, he's definitely a ladies' man. Is he not your type? " Emma asks hoping for Regina to open up.

Regina scrunches up her face in what looks to be distaste which makes Emma burst out in laughter. "He's actually not my type at all. And he is a very good friend. I don't know if I would ever want to jeopardize that even if I thought for a second that anything would work out between us."

"I have to confess, that night when I first met you and the two of you sang karaoke together, I thought for sure you were at least sleeping together."

"EMMA!" Regina shrieks. "I can't believe that you would think that!"

"What? You guys sang a duet together. It was about making love." Emma is laughing again, unable to stop herself. "How could I not think that?"

"It is bar karaoke, Emma. People sing all sorts of things." Regina counters.

"So, of all the songs to pick from, you pick that song?" Emma is still very amused.

"I happen to like that song a lot." Regina shrugs and finishes the rest of her beer. "So, are we going to put this bed together or would you rather spend the rest of the evening discussing my karaoke song preferences?"

Emma laughs again. "I want to do both honestly. This is fun."

Regina rolls her eyes and gets up. She reaches out so that she can take Emma's empty plate from her. She walks them back into the kitchen and runs the water so that she can clean the dishes. "Why don't you grab the tool box and start opening up the boxes to see what we will need?"

"Oh, hey, you don't have to clean those. Just leave them there and I can clean them later."

"I'm already doing it. It will only take me a few minutes. Do you have any dish soap?" Regina asks after looking around the sink area and not spotting anything to clean the dishes with.

"Oh yeah." Emma reaches around in a grocery bag on the counter behind Regina and grabs a dishrag and soap for her. "Here you go." Emma says as she hands them off to Regina. "I'm gonna change into something a bit lighter, it is so damn hot in here."

Regina just nods and silently finishes cleaning everything up. When she is done putting the leftover pizza away in the refrigerator, Emma emerges from the bedroom in running shorts and a tight tank top. Regina takes a quick glance just long enough for her to admire and appreciate her view of the other woman but looks down again so that she does not get caught staring for too long.

Emma is pulling her hair into a ponytail when she looks over to see that Regina is all finished and waiting for her. "Alright, you ready for this?" Emma stretches and asks as she smiles widely.

"Yes. Let's get this done so you have something to sleep on tonight." Regina says.

It does not take them very long to get the frame put together. Both women are very efficient as they take turns either reading the instruction manual or working with the parts and tools. Once it is completely assembled, Regina helps Emma unbox the mattress.

Regina stands back to admire their handy work as Emma leaves the room to find the new bedsheets and comforter that they picked out. Regina sees that the king-sized bed takes up a large portion of the small bedroom leaving very little space for anything else, but judging by the very few boxes that Emma has scattered throughout the place, she does not think there will be much that the blonde is wanting to add to the room.

Emma comes back with the sheets and Regina helps her to get them onto the new mattress. When everything is finished and the bed is made, Emma falls balls onto it happily. She sighs loudly and then rolls herself from one end of the bed to the other, "Man, this feels so nice!" Then she pushes herself up to look at Regina. "Thank you so much for helping me with all of this today. I don't think that I could have pulled all this off by myself."

Regina smiles. "It was fun, actually. I had a good time."

They smile at each other without breaking eye contact for a while, neither one of them saying anything, until they are interrupted by Emma's phone.

Emma smiles at Regina again and jumps out of the bed running towards the ringing phone. She sees that it is Ruby and sends it to voicemail but quickly shoots her a text message letting her know that she will call her first thing in the morning since it is pretty late on the East coast already. She looks up again to see Regina is in the living room area putting her jacket on. "Oh, hey, are you leaving?" She says with a frown forming on her face.

"It's pretty late, I should probably head home."

Emma really wants to ask Regina to stay for awhile longer. "I guess it would be unreasonable for me to ask you to stay and hang out when I don't even have a TV or any living room furniture. It will make for a pretty lame invitation, huh?"

Regina chuckles. "Yeah, it's difficult to find anything entertaining to do with guests when the only thing you have in your place is a bed."

Emma feels her face warm up at Regina's comment. She awkwardly rubs that back of her neck as she looks down at her feet so that she can hide the grin on her face. She can surely think of a few very entertaining things that they could be doing but she pushes that thought away reminding herself that Regina is not only just a friend but also her boss. Even though Regina is definitely gorgeous, and her type. "Yeah, you're not wrong." Emma looks up again and adds. "I had a really good time today, too. And I don't have any friends here in Seattle so it feels nice to have days like this. Just any sort of interaction with another person that isn't just work related, ya know?"

Regina studies Emma for a second. Then she looks down at her watch and sees that it is not quite 8pm. Before she has too much time to mentally talk herself out of it, she asks, "Do you want to come over to my place for a little bit? I do happen to have both a television and living room furniture. And I made an apple pie yesterday if you have room for dessert."

Emma's eyes go wide with excitement. "Do you have ice cream, too?"

Regina scoffs. "What kind of horrible person do you take me for? Of course I have ice cream."

This makes Emma laugh. "Are you sure that it's okay. You don't have to feel forced to invite me over just because I gave you that spiel."

"Emma, I'd never allow anyone to force me to do anything against my will, believe me." Regina says.

"Are you absolutely sure?" Emma asks again.

"Absolutely." Regina answers smiling. "So, are you coming over?"

"Yes!" Emma nods enthusiastically. "Why don't you go ahead and take off first. I'm going to change really quickly and I'll be a few minutes behind you."

Regina nods. "Alright. And I assume that you'll have more furniture that you will need to put together so I'm going to just leave my toolbox here for you until you are finished putting this place together?"

"Oh, yeah. I hadn't even thought about that. Thanks. I'll just bring it back to you when I'm done with it."

"Alright. You remember how to get to my place right? I'm in building two, apartment twelve."

"Yep! And two-twelve. Got it." Emma says excitedly. "I'll be right over."

Regina nods and sees herself out while Emma runs back into the bedroom to change back into her jeans.

On Regina's drive home, she thinks about their shopping trip and how it turned out to be more enjoyable

than she had originally expected. That in large part, she has to admit, is due to how easy and comfortable it is becoming for her to spend time with Emma. It reminds her of the first time they ever had a conversation with each other and how easy that was despite a horrible first impression. She smiles to herself thinking about how excited Emma got at the thought of the two of them spending more time together. She is finally starting to feel better about spending time away from the bar again and it also feels pretty good to have made a new friend.


	11. Eleven - Unfinished Business

***Author's Notes: So, even if you're not ready for it, some major drama is about to happen. But, I think that it is well overdue. In this chapter we finally get to meet the person that Regina loves/hates and I think that you will find that she is actually really easy to hate. Also, please excuse some of the language that happens in this chapter. I try really hard to keep it clean but I'm also someone who believes a great deal in the F-word when it needs to be used (one of my favorite words, actually). Let me know what you think!***

When Regina gets home, she turns the oven on to warm, slides in the apple pie, and goes into her bedroom to change into something more comfortable. Shortly after she is done, there is a knock at her door. She opens it to find Emma with a huge smile on her face and the rest of the six-pack that they had earlier. Regina moves to the side so that Emma could enter.

"I didn't know if you had anything to drink here so I brought these just in case."

"Hmm. I actually don't drink much at home so I don't think I have anything besides water and orange juice. But, I don't think that IPAs go very well with apple pie." Regina smiles.

"Well, we can have apple pie and ice cream first and then we can watch a movie and have beer?" Emma says with a grin on her face.

Regina chuckles. "Ah, a woman with a plan. That's sounds fine to me."

Emma walks over to the kitchen and puts the beer in the refrigerator. Then, she walks back into dining area which is by the front door and looks around at Regina's apartment. The space is not very big but it looks very homey. The first thing that Emma notices is that Regina has a vintage record player in her living room along with a pretty impressive collection of vinyl records and CDs on a shelf beside it. She walks over and looks through a few of them pulling out an original Etta James record that still looks like it is in mint condition "Whoa…"

"I'm sort of a traditionalist when it comes to music." Regina says from behind Emma.

Emma turns and smiles at her. "Yeah, so I've noticed. And it is very cool. I mean, I thought you were pretty cool before but this is really, really cool."

Regina rolls her eyes.

"You know, you do that a lot around me." Emma says laughing.

"Well, you say a lot of things that warrant that reaction."

"No, I don't. You, just don't know how to take a compliment." Emma is smiling at Regina again waiting for her to say something when she notices that Regina might be blushing.

Regina looks down at her feet for a moment and reaches her hand up to tuck some hair behind her ear, a definite nervous habit of hers. Then she replies, "I suppose that I should just thank you then" as she looks up again and returns Emma's smile.

"Why, you're welcome." Emma says smugly. She continues walking around the room when a few pictures on Regina's bookshelf catches her eye. One picture is of a younger Regina, probably eleven or twelve, with who looks to be her parents. Then there is one of Regina and Marian from when they were in school, both of them in cheerleading uniforms. The last one is from Marian and Robin's wedding and Regina is off to the side as she is obviously one of Marian's bridesmaids. This makes Emma smile. It has to be a crime to look so much more beautiful than the bride in a wedding photo, she thinks to herself before turning back towards where Regina is standing and watching her. "Your apartment is very nice. It seems very cozy."

Regina shrugs. "Well, as you know, I don't spend much time here. I spend the most time in my bedroom, sleeping." She laughs. "Are you ready for some pie?"

"Oh, yes. I'm always ready for pie."

Regina walks into the kitchen, puts on the oven mitt, and pulls the pie out of the oven. "I hope that you like yours warm because that's how I usually eat it."

"Mmm, warm is good." Emma say as she takes in the scents of apples, cinnamon, and butter all at once.

Regina places it on a pot holder and pulls a knife out cutting into it. "Do you want to show me how big or small of a piece you'd like?"

Without having to think about it, Emma excitedly takes Regina's hand that's holding the knife and moves it to where she wants her to cut.

"Wow. Alright." Regina laughs as she sees the large slice that Emma has requested. "Would you get the ice cream from the freezer for me please? And there are spoons in the top drawer on your right."

Emma does this as Regina plates their dessert. She scoops herself a generous amount of ice cream as well and moans into her first bite. "Oh my god, Regina. This is so good."

"It's my mother's recipe." Regina says as she takes a bite of her own piece.

"Your father's burgers and your mother's apple pie are now my two most favorite things in the world. I bet the holiday meals at your house are amazing."

"Mhmm. They are pretty amazing actually, but I haven't had a proper Thanksgiving with them in a while. They always travel around that time of year now because I can never make it home. I will probably close the bar down for a week or two this Christmas though because I really should spend it at home this year."

"If you don't want to close the bar down completely, I can always stay and work for you. We can do short days or something. I don't think that I have plans to go anywhere."

Regina thinks about asking Emma about her family but does not want to overstep. She feels that Emma would have volunteered the information already if she really wanted to because she has been pretty candid with everything else. "We'll see. It's still too early to tell. What if you do decide that you have plans for Christmas?"

"Eh, doubt it, but we'll talk about it closer to the time." Emma smiles again but immediately turns her attention back to her dessert.

Once they are both finished, Regina tells Emma to choose a movie from her DVD collection while she cleans the dishes.

Emma browses through the DVDs until she comes across one of her favorite movies. "Aha! I love this movie." She turns the television and DVD player on and by the time she has everything set up, Regina is coming into the living room.

Regina grabs one of the cushions off of the sofa and sits in its place as she pulls the pillow against her chest and hugs it. "What did you decide on?"

"Only one of the best movie of all time." She holds up the box to the DVD that she has just put into the player.

Regina smiles. "Funny, you really don't strike me as the romantic comedy type."

"And you'd be correct. I'm definitely more of a Star Wars or Indiana Jones type, which I am surprised to see that you have as well because you totally seem like the rom-com lover. But, those ones are really meant for sleepover marathons, so we can save that for another night. Tonight just felt like a When Harry Met Sally night." She hits play on the DVD player and waits to make sure the movie is starting.

"You say that assuming that I will invite you back over here again." Regina teases.

"I mean, I'm definitely hoping that you will." Emma says with a smile on her face.

Regina shakes her head and chuckles. "You're welcome to come over here any time. Now, will you open up that ottoman over there and grab the blanket that's inside? It should be big enough for us to share."

Emma gets the blanket just as the the beginning credits of the movie starts. She sits down next to Regina and opens up the blanket. She spreads it out so that both her and Regina are able to have some of it but it falls a bit short, so she shyly positions herself closer to Regina until they are both fully covered. Then she relaxes and turns her attention to the movie.

They do not even make it to the middle of the movie when Regina feels her eyelids start to get heavy. She yawns which in turn makes Emma yawn as well.

"Hey, quit that! It's contagious."

Regina mumbles something as she leans against the arm of the sofa and pulls her feet up and onto Emma's lap.

Emma looks over at Regina who is now has her head on the cushion she was holding with her eyes closed. She reaches over and taps Regina on the shoulder. "Hey…" she says softly.

Regina blinks tiredly and looks over at Emma. "I'm getting very sleepy."

Emma chuckles. "I can tell. And that's okay. I should probably go and let you go to sleep." Emma gets up, careful not to pull the blanket off of Regina.

Regina gets up with her. "I'm sorry Emma. We can finish the movie next time." Regina says mid-yawn.

"Nope. Next time we are having a Star Wars marathon for sure and a sleepover."

Regina is too tired to argue so she just agrees instead. "Sure, but we'll have to move the television into the bedroom because that sofa is not going to fit both of us comfortably."

"Deal." Emma says happily.

Regina walks Emma to the door and opens it for her. She thinks about hugging Emma before she makes it out the door but the moment passes and if she does it now, it would be make things extremely awkward. "Get home safely. Text me if you need anything because I don't think that I'll see you until later in the week. You don't work again until Thursday, right?" she asks, her brain still cloudy from the drowsiness.

"I'll probably stop by and hang out with you guys tomorrow. I don't have anything else going on and there is nothing in the condo unless I go buy a TV tomorrow." Emma laughs.

"Oh okay. Well then, I will see you tomorrow. Good night, Emma."

"Good night. Go get some rest."

Regina nods, waves, and then closes the door when Emma turns and walks away.

* * *

As promised, Emma shows up at the bar the next evening just to have a drink and to hang out with Killian and Regina. Monday nights are not very busy but Regina runs a burger special which brings an adequate dinner crowd. When Emma arrives, there are already a few small groups of people and a large party of about ten guys that she believes are from a local fraternity. It is not exactly bustling but it is just enough to keep Regina and Killian on their toes.

Emma helps Killian with bringing the beers and food over to the large party and refills the water for the small tables before she takes a seat at the bar.

Regina comes out from the back and sees Emma sitting there. "Hey there." Regina says. "Are you hungry? You want something to eat?"

"Nah, I ate already. But I'll take a Maker's and soda."

Regina pours the drink and hands it to her. "So, did you get a television today?"

Emma scrunches her face. "No, not yet. I have been so lazy today. I went on a run this morning but then just basically laid in bed all day after that. Regina, that bed is so comfortable. I am not going to want to sleep anywhere else ever again." She says. "So, I think we're going to have to do the sleepover at my place."

Regina had almost forgotten about the movie marathon that she had promised Emma.

Killian overhears this. "What's this about a sleepover? I better be invited."

"Pssh. Are you even a Star Wars fan?" Emma asks.

"Are you kidding me, Emma? I love Star Wars!" Killian reveals. Just ask Regina, She'll tell you I do."

Regina is busy doing something on the computer on the back counter but says, "It's true. He may not look like one but he's actually a huge nerd."

Emma smiles. "Well, that's just too bad because it's a ladies only party. We don't want any of your man cooties."

There's someone at the end of the bar that is trying to order something so Killian walks in his direction but not before replying to Emma. "Whatever, Swan. Women go crazy for my man cooties."

Emma is laughing at Killian's remark as someone walks up to the bar next to her. She looks over to see a beautiful woman in business attire that looks as if she just stepped out of a magazine ad. She is definitely not someone you would normally see in Regina's bar. The woman looks at her and politely smiles. Emma returns the smile and tries to get Regina's attention for her but the woman speaks up before Emma can say anything.

"I am hoping that you still make the best martini in this city." she says in Regina's direction knowing very well that her attention was currently elsewhere.

Regina recognizes the voice right away and turns to look at the woman who is now standing in front of her. "Hello, Danielle." She is stunned but tries to smile cordially, only managing a small, tight one.

Killian has just handed the man his drink and looks over when he hears Regina say the name and his expression quickly changes to one of rage."What the bloody hell are you doing here?" Killian says angrily but not loud enough to draw the attention of the other patrons. Killian takes a protective step closer to Regina and adds, "You're not welcome in this bar, you stupid c-"

Regina grabs his arm and squeezes it hard cutting him off, at the same time trying to remind him how much she hates it when he uses the word that was just about to come out of his mouth. "Killian, why don't you go check on that large table over there?" Regina nods her head in the direction of table full of frat guys. "I think that they have a few empty glasses and they probably want another round."

Emma notes that Killian wants to but does not argue. He glares daggers in Danielle's direction once again before walking away like Regina asks. Emma looks between the two women and when she catches Regina's eyes, she sees that the woman is silently begging her for some privacy. So, Emma picks up her glass and heads to one of the tables on the other side of the bar.

Regina then focuses her attention back to Danielle. "So, a martini, is it? Bombay and dirty, if I remember correctly." She does not wait for an answer and turns to begin making the drink, both her heart and brain racing the entire time.

Danielle takes a seat on one of the bar stools and silently watches Regina as she makes the drink.

When Regina is finished, she puts the martini glass on a coaster and slides in slowly over to the woman without saying anything else.

Killian is back and filling up a few beers at the other end of the bar. He looks up every few seconds at the two women and when Regina catches his eyes, she walks over to where he is and softly says, "Hey, why don't you go sit and hang out with Emma for a bit. I'll take care of this."

Killian frowns. "Gigi, just tell her to leave."

"I'll take care of it. Killian, please." Regina pleads.

Killian grumbles something to himself but ultimately agrees. He takes the beers to those who ordered them before sitting down at the table with Emma.

Emma has many questions but thinks she should probably keep them to herself for the time being. She looks again at Killian trying to read his expression. He seems very angry and sad at the same time because he is looking over towards the bar glowering but would also turn towards the front door like he is expecting someone else to join the woman at the bar who is now striking up a conversation with Regina.

"How have you been?" Danielle asks Regina who has run out of things to keep her busy.

"I don't believe you have the right to ask me that." Regina retorts.

"For goodness sake, Regina, I'm trying to be civil, you don't have to be a bitch."

Regina laughs mockingly. "You say that as if you were the one that got screwed over in the situation. I should really be the one telling you that I'M trying really hard to be civil, and you probably shouldn't be a bitch." Regina says with a fake smile plastered on her face.

"I guess that's fair." Danielle says as she takes a drink of her martini.

Regina sighs. "Seriously, Dani, what are you doing here? What exactly is it that you want?" Regina asks clearly agitated now.

Danielle smiles at Regina's use of the nickname. "I closed a big case today. I was in the neighborhood and I really miss coming here. I really miss you. I'd like to think we were friends once."

Regina shakes her head at Danielle. "Wait, are you actually fucking serious right now? You know what, I'm doing very well. And I'm very happy. Is that what you want to hear? You just want to be absolved of all that guilt, right? Well, you don't have to feel guilty about anything because I am fine."

Emma and Killian are still sitting there, neither of them saying anything when suddenly, Emma hears that Regina is cursing at the woman at the bar which is something that is completely out of character so before she can stop herself Emma makes her way behind the bar towards Regina. Killian is right behind her and he looks as if he is ready for a fist fight.

"Regina, hurting you was never my intention. If I could redo it all, I would. And I would have told you everything sooner." Danielle says as she leans forward on the bar, closer to Regina.

"HA!" Killian says. "You've ruined the relationship and the engagement but hurting her was not your intention? Just get the hell out of here, you floozy."

"Killian!" Regina says to him angrily.

Danielle shakes her head as she steps off of the chair. "You know what? This was obviously not a good idea." She looks at Regina and frowns. "I really just wanted some closure for all of us, Gina. Your friendship has and will always remain very important to me."

Killian tries to talk again but Regina speaks up first. "I don't think that you coming here tonight will give any of us closure so you should probably leave."

Danielle just nods knowing that Regina is right and reaches into her purse for her wallet, pulling it out.

"Don't worry about the drink. It's on the house." Regina says.

Danielle nods again and then turns and leaves the bar without another look back.

Killian reaches over and takes the empty martini glass. He slams it into the sink below, which snaps the stem of the glass in two. "What a bloody waste of good gin."

Regina rubs at her temples feeling so very tired all of a sudden. "Killian, you're going to scare the other customers away." She says. She looks at the broken glass in the sink but does not say anything else. She looks at Emma for a second, with a blank expression on her face, and then shakes her head and walks into the back of the bar.

Emma really wants to ask one of them what the hell is going on because she cannot make any sense of the bits and pieces that she has already heard tonight. She decides she should wait until later when everyone else is gone so instead, she takes a seat at the bar again and spends most of the night texting Ruby about her itinerary and what they will do when she arrives in Seattle.

Killian and Regina work in silence until the bar closes and it is not until he has locked the front door that Killian finally says from across the room to Regina, "I don't know why you would even let her walk into this bar after everything she's done. You just stood there while she sat around with that stupid smug look on her face. Regina, you don't owe her anything. The very least of all, your kindness."

This startles Emma.

Regina looks over at Emma, then turns towards Killian and sighs. "Killian, do you really want to do this right now?"

"Well, why the bloody hell not? You're the one that let her back into our lives. GODS REGINA, THAT WOMAN IS SUCH A FUCKING C-"

"Killian Jones, if you even so much as to think that word in this bar again, I will not let you come back in here. Do I make myself clear?" Regina states, her patience dwindling.

Killian balls his hand into fist and punches it into the wall right by where he is standing. "AHHHHH!" He screams with frustration. The impact causes the books on the bookcase on the other side of the room to fall over and it also leaves a visible dent on the wall.

Regina closes her eyes and takes a deep breath, clearly upset. "Are you finished? Because if you are, please just go home. I don't want to talk about any of this right now. And you need to go home before you tear this whole place down."

"Gladly." Killian says without even looking at Regina. Then he just unlocks the door again slamming it on his way out.

Regina looks over at Emma again. "You should probably go after him and make sure he gets home alright. I have to finish cleaning up in back."

Emma speaks for the first time since Danielle entered the bar tonight. "Hey, if you need to talk…"

"I'm fine, Emma. Please go check on Killian." Regina furrows her brows. "I don't want him to do anything stupid."

"If you're sure that you're okay…"

"Emma, please just go before he gets too far away and neither one of us knows where he's at." Regina turns and walks into the back without another word.

So, Emma does as Regina says and leaves the bar, chasing after Killian. "Hey, Killian! Wait up." Killian turns and sees her but does not stop walking. When she catches up to him, she notices that he looks as if he has been crying.

"I'm fine." Killian says.

"You know, that seems to be how everyone is feeling at the moment but it's the weirdest display of being fine that I have ever witnessed." Emma tries to jest. When she does not get a reaction, she sighs. "Regina is worried about you. She told me to come after you."

Killian scoffs. "The person that she needs to be worried about is herself." After a few more strides, he stops walking and looks at Emma with a serious expression on his face. "Emma, I just need to get some fresh air and walk this off. You should go back to her. Regina needs someone there for her tonight, more than she will admit and I'm too pissed off to be that person for her right now."

"UGH. You two drive me nuts, you know that? ARE YOU SURE that you're going to be okay?" Emma asks.

Killian smiles sadly. "Yeah, I promise that I won't get myself into any trouble. Go."

Emma nods and runs back up the street to the bar. She uses her key to unlock the door and once she is inside, she pours herself a glass of wine and sits back down at the bar to wait for Regina to finish up.


	12. Twelve - Bourbon Truths

***Author's Note: This part of the story is one of the first parts that I had completed and I wrote it right after I wrote the first chapter. I have changed a few things here and there in the last two months since I have added to my story but the main parts of it have not been touched at all. It was always going to be about Regina and Killian's bond and eventually centered on how Emma gets slowly added to that equation. With that said, two things that you could possibly hate me for after this chapter. Firstly, it's a rough one to read, and second, I won't have an update for you all in a while. I have tons of ideas but I have other projects and stuff that I need to focus on in the next few weeks. Of course I say that and then I'm up until 2am writing so we'll see what happens. Please enjoy and leave me reviews with your thoughts.***

Regina finishes cleaning the kitchen and has just turned all of the the main dining room lights off when she comes out from the back to find Emma sitting at the bar, sipping from a glass of wine. Regina knows that Emma can be persistent but sometimes the blonde really takes it to a whole new level. "Emma, what are you doing back here?"

"Uh, excuse me, I am a paying customer." Emma pulls out her wallet and lays it on the bar as she flashes Regina a brilliant toothy smile.

Regina rolls her eyes and sighs. "The bar is closed, Emma. And I told you that I'm fine."

Emma shrugs. "Oh, I don't doubt that you're fine. But just in case you did actually want to talk, I thought that I'd make myself available."

Regina sighs and walks from the bar area over to where the reading nook is and sits down. "There's nothing to talk about."

Emma gulps down the rest of her wine, walks over to where Regina is sitting down on the loveseat, and situates herself right next to her. "Oh, I'll bet that I can think of a few things that we could talk about. That woman that was in the bar earlier for one. Or we can talk about why Killian stormed out of here." Emma continues when Regina does not respond to her. "Look, Regina, I didn't come back around here because I'm trying to be nosey or want to be in your business. I'm here because I consider you my friend and I don't really have very many of those. I just need you to know that I am here to listen if you're willing to open up."

Instead of answering, Regina gets back up and walks towards the bar. "I think that we're going to need another bottle of wine for this conversation. You want red or white?"

"Or how about something stronger?" Emma suggests.

Regina contemplates this for a second, "Hmm...why not. Bourbon?" She does not wait for confirmation before she grabs two glasses and the bottle of Bullet. "I know that you're a Makers girl but I like Bullet better."

Emma smiles, "You're the boss and you're pouring the booze. I don't think that I am going to argue with you."

This makes Regina laugh. "You are a smart woman, Emma Swan."

Regina sits back down and she pours herself and Emma each a drink. She takes a sip of hers letting the alcohol warm her insides. She did not expect to see Danielle ever again and especially not in her bar. She does not even know where or how to begin telling the story. She sighs, "Honestly Emma, I don't even know where to start."

Neither of them say anything for a while before Emma finally speaks up. "I don't really like to talk about it but I was almost engaged once." Regina looks a bit surprised by this. "But it didn't really feel right." Regina makes herself more comfortable, sitting back as she lifts her legs up onto the loveseat silently urging Emma to keep talking. Emma takes a drink and looks down at her glass, "we were together for almost three years and we were happy for most of it. I mean, I can only speak for myself and I think that I was happy for most of it. But, it was the kind of relationship where I'd catch myself giving into every single thing he wanted. I would always be the one making the sacrifices, or always letting him choose what we do, or eat, or even when we would be intimate..." She hesitates looking up to see Regina is looking at her and waiting for her to continue. "He liked being the one to call all the shots and I just didn't realize until it was too late that he was just a very selfish guy. But, then he asked me to marry him. And I considered it. I really did. I spent so much of my life looking for someone who wanted to keep me around that I almost just did it for that reason."

Regina can only imagine how confused Emma must have felt in that moment. She thinks of Emma as a very headstrong and independent woman, and yet she always seems to be seeking some sort of validation. That is something that Regina can relate to as well. Her and Emma are so different in many ways and yet so similar. "But you didn't stay in it, Emma. You learned that it was toxic and you made the decision to walk away. I think that says a lot about you."

"But, I didn't walk away. I ran. I just packed up, left my best friend and everything that I knew in New York, and I started driving. Sometimes I wonder to myself if I did it just so I wouldn't get that urge to just go back to him. Like if I were given the chance to, I might just beg him to take me back." She takes the rest of her drink in one big gulp. Saying everything aloud makes Emma feel a bit of relief, like a weight she did not even know was there has suddenly been lifted. She thought that she had the closure that she had needed to move on from all of it, but maybe she just refuses to talk about it because of the fear that she did not.

"Emma, I like to believe that we, as human beings, do things that feel the best for ourselves in the moment. From the perspective of someone on the outside looking in, it may look as if you were running but it was really just self-preservation, wasn't it? Who gives a shit what anyone else sees. If you are happier not engaged or married to a selfish man, that's the only thing that matters."

Emma manages a small smile. "Yeah, I kinda know that now." She pours herself another and Regina reaches her glass over so that Emma can top hers off as well. She loves that her relationship with Regina has changed so much in just the last few days. It was so easy for her to tell Regina all of those things that she has not even said to Ruby. She can only hope that Regina is able to find that same comfort in her. "So, are you going to tell me about that chick that was in here earlier tonight, or what?

Regina sighs. "I still don't know where to even begin. I may need a few more of these first." She says as she raises her glass to Emma.

"How about start at the part where she ruined your engagement. That seemed to be the main topic of the evening. I mean, it made Killian pretty fucking upset when he brought it up." She clinks Regina's glass with her own urging her take a another drink so that she can tell her story. "Did she steal your fiancé or something?"

That question makes Regina take another rather large drink from her glass before putting it down on the coffee table. "She didn't steal my fiancé." Regina subconsciously plays with her hands, touching the spot where there was a ring before. "She _was_ my fiancée."

Emma is shocked. She does not know why, but up until this very moment, she always thought that Regina was only interested in men. She knows that they have not really talked about any specific romantic relationships before tonight, but she is surprised that she has not once picked up any vibes that Regina is at all interested in women. "So...she was your fiancée?"

Regina glares at her. "That is what I just said, Emma."

Emma feels stupid for repeating it but the shock has not wholly dissipated. "Sorry…I just...uh...please continue."

"Her name is Danielle, which I am sure that you heard. She is a tax lawyer for a law firm that is just a few blocks from here. When we first met years ago, she would come into the bar after long days at her office and she was always friendly and talkative. At the time, I had just bought this place and had it six months, maybe close to seven. I hadn't hired any help yet so I would just open and close every day on my own. It wasn't ever extremely busy back then so a lot of the time, when Dani would come in after ten or eleven, it would just be her and I in here. And we would talk for hours. And that went on for months. One night, she came in with a date who was this gorgeous woman, who had legs for days and looked like she could be a supermodel, and I didn't know why at the time, but it made me so upset."

Emma smiles. She has known Regina for more than a few months now and has never really gotten to know anything this personal about her. Regina is good at shutting herself away from others and Emma likes that she is finally able to open up.

Regina is laughing at herself when she continues, "I was so oblivious to my own feelings that I was such a bitch to her that night. Then she doesn't come in here for at least two weeks and I was so mad at myself because I was sure that it was because of how I treated her and her date that night. When she does come back again, she tells me that it didn't work out with the other woman and jokingly brings up how mean I was the last time she saw me. I was so embarrassed but I couldn't deny my feelings any longer so I told her that I realized I was just insanely jealous of her date. We laughed about it and then she asked me if I would go out to dinner with her. I didn't know what to say."

Emma decides that now would be a good time for the question that she has been wanting to ask since Regina first began her story so she asks,"So, were you always attracted to women or was it just her? I mean, no doubt, she is super gorgeous so I'm sure that even if you weren't attracted to women that way, you'd be attracted to her..." Emma realizes that she is rambling on and trails off waiting for Regina to answer.

"In college, I had fantasized about women, but I always just believed them to be passing thoughts. I never acted on them. And I definitely had never been in any sort of relationship with a woman romantically...or sexually and I told her that she would be the first." Regina sighs. "With her, everything was always so comfortable though. She made it so damn easy to fall in love."

Emma thinks that Regina must have been so very happy then. Just talking about it now, she looks as if she is sadly reliving it. "So, you went out to dinner with her, obviously. And it was perfect?" Emma is now completely absorbed in Regina's story.

"Well, I had this place to take care of and I told her that I couldn't just close down the bar to go on a date. After pestering me about it all night long, she finally let it go. We exchanged phone numbers that night and we ended up talking until four in the morning. I was exhausted the next day. That evening, she comes in with flowers, take-out, a bottle of wine, and suggested that we just did our date here in the bar. She waited for the few people that were in here to finish up and leave. Then she helped me clean the tables and dirty dishes. Afterwards, we ate together, talked, and she just swept me off of my feet."

"Wow. That all sounds like it was really sweet, Regina." Emma does not know what else to say because clearly, things do not work out in the end. While it makes her think about the romance that she is lacking in her own life, she is also still trying to process all of this new information about Regina. Emma decides that in order for her to do that, she really needs more alcohol so she leans over to the coffee table where both of their glasses are sitting and refills them. She grabs them and hands one to Regina who has been quiet for a minute now.

Regina takes it and takes a drink. "She proposed to me on Christmas Eve last year after we had been together for nearly four years. " Emma is not sure that Regina is necessarily wanting a response so she does not say anything. "And then we ended things back in March."

Emma is confused. Is that the whole story? Was Killian involved? He seemed like he knew Danielle quite well also, just judging based on his reaction tonight. It feels like there are gaps that need to be filled in so she musters up the courage to ask, "So...what happened?"

Regina is suddenly feeling more tired now and she is not sure that she is in the right mindset to tell the whole story. She has not talked about what happened with anyone. Not even Killian and her have really talked about it and she thinks that she probably owes it to herself and him to have that conversation at some point. "Has Killian ever told you anything about Elle?"

Emma nods, "Yes, but we never really had an in-depth conversation about her. That's his ex girlfriend right?"

Regina nods as she takes another drink from her glass. "His ex wife, actually." Emma is shocked for the second time tonight because Killian never once mentioned that he had been married before. But at the same time, he never mentions very much about his ex in general. In fact, he is very good at changing the subject everytime it comes up. "I don't know very much about her either to be honest, just that they were together for a long while. When he started working for me, they had already been together for six years, I think. Elle never really came around here very much because she had just started grad school when Killian started working here so she spent most of her time studying. We did spend one Christmas together, the four of us. Killian, Elle, Danielle and I. We rented a cabin in the mountains. It was such a great time. Elle seemed sweet and it was evident that Killian was so crazy in love with her. I only saw her a few other times after that but the most memorable time was undoubtedly when she came walking into the bar this past March holding my fiancée's hand."

Emma gasps as she covers her own mouth in disbelief, "Oh...no. Oh, my god…"

"They told us that afternoon that they were in love and that they were leaving Killian and I," Regina clears her throat and adds as if that was not clear enough to Emma, "to be with each other." Emma can hear in Regina's voice that she is getting choked up. Her head is tilted downwards now and Emma sees when tears fall as they start to stain her jeans. "As it turns out, they had been having an affair since they met the winter when we were all at the cabin. Danielle tells me days later when we are screaming at each other that she only proposed because she thought that it would push Elle to leave Killian. As it turns out, her plan worked out. It just took a few months. "

Regina is unmistakably crying now with her knees pulled up to her chest, hugging herself tightly and it breaks Emma's heart to see it. Emma scoots herself over closer to Regina and puts her arm around her, trying to comfort her. "Regina, I…I'm so sorry." And she tries to think of something else to say that could possibly make Regina feel even a tiny bit better but she could not find any words at all.

"I still feel so stupid, you know. I can clearly remember so many nights when Killian would close the bar for me so that I could be at home just to have Dani call and tell me that she had to work late and would have to stay at the office. And all of those nights she was probably spending in the arms of Killian's wife. Regina wipes the tears from her face and takes a deep breath. Then without really thinking about it, Regina leans over and lays her head onto Emma's shoulder. Emma tenses at first surprised by the sudden closeness but she slowly relaxes her body and pulls Regina tightly into her side. Regina continues, "And poor Killian, he wouldn't say anything to me for days. I thought that he was so angry at me that he was going to just quit and leave town. But one night we were closing and I just broke down. I was on the floor sobbing and he just held me. We both cried until we couldn't cry anymore and he came in the next day like none of it ever happened." Regina takes another deep breath then. "And we haven't really talked about what happened in detail since that night."

"Regina, I had no idea-"

Regina cuts Emma off. "I don't like to talk about it. It makes me feel so foolish." Regina says as she wipes the wetness from her face.

"Regina, you are far from foolish."

"Yeah, well, they got each other in the end. That must count for something."

"Only if you let that count against you. The chick is obviously an idiot for someone who has a law degree or whatever. Because there are so many ways that she could have handled that situation and she basically picked the worst one possible. I don't know anything about Killian's ex-wife but you're totally a catch, so I've already picked out who I think the loser is in this story."

Regina manages a small smile. She knows that Emma is trying to make her feel better. Marian and Robin, the only other people that know the truth behind her separation with Danielle outside of Killian, and now Emma, spent weeks telling her the same thing. "Thanks, Emma. But I just don't think that I'll ever be able to believe that."

That makes Emma speechless because it is so heartbreaking to hear Regina say that to her. What Emma witnessed in the bar tonight, how upset both Killian and Regina was, she could never have imagined that this was the story behind all of that pain. Regina is a woman who has spent the last several months of her life hurting and yet all the while trying to move on with her life, just to have the floor pulled out from underneath her all over again.

Then her mind wanders to Killian. He has pretty much become one of her best friends in the short time they have known each other. When she made the move from New York, she was doing it as a way to heal from her own heartache, thinking that she could leave it all behind and start anew. Meeting Killian really helped her to move on and right now, she feels like a complete asshole because this whole time, it has not occurred to her that he could be going through a healing process of his own. She really wishes that she could be there for him right now as well. He must be a wreck.

They sit in a comfortable silence and Regina realizes how nice it feels to be so close to Emma. She no longer feels so lonely because Emma has turned out to be a great listener, and a great friend. "I haven't even told my parents about how or why everything ended between Danielle and I. They know it is over, of course, I couldn't keep that from them. I just haven't been able to work up the courage to face them with the truth."

This baffles Emma. "What? Why would it be hard to tell them the truth?" She asks before continuing, "Whatever happened between you and Danielle isn't something that you could've done anything to change or prevent from happening. This whole mess is on her, not you."

Regina pulls herself back so that she can look at Emma but is not expecting to be as close as she is to the other woman's face. Regina is taken aback for a second but quickly recovers. "They were just so happy for me, Emma. They really loved Danielle."

"It's funny because I always think that my family is going to disappoint me but my mom and dad still manage to surprise me when I least expect it. So, whatever you think their reaction will be, your mom and dad could surprise you, too. I'm sure that they love you very much. And because of that, I really don't think there is any reason at all for you to worry about telling them what happened."

Regina considers what Emma says for a moment knowing that this is the first time that she has ever heard Emma bring up anyone close to her besides her best friend Ruby. She wants to ask Emma to tell her more about her family but she just feels so drained right now. She also realizes that she is unexpectedly missing their closeness so she eases her head back onto Emma's shoulder again."I will see them at Christmas and I'll be stuck there for more than a few days. They will somehow torment it out of me, no doubt."

Emma chuckles. "Now, that sounds like something to look forward to."

"Right…"

Emma thinks about how Regina is such a strong woman. From the very first moment they met, Regina has been beautiful in Emma's eyes but being here with her now, having her open up the way she does tonight, somehow just makes her even more beautiful. Emma knows that she is probably enjoying the intimacy a little too much but she cannot seem to shake the feeling of how good it feels to hold Regina in her arms.

Regina has stopped crying now and they sit there like that for a while before Emma notices that Regina's breaths have slowed and evened out. She shifts herself forward to see that Regina has actually fallen asleep. Emma turns towards the bar to see that it is just after 3am and decides right away that she does not want to wake her sleeping friend. She blinks a few times and decides that she is actually pretty tired herself so without another thought, she shifts them slowly so that they are now both laying down. Regina stirs but does not wake and actually buries her face into Emma's neck. Emma cannot help thinking to herself how good it feels before she, too, drifts off to sleep with a smile on her face.


	13. Thirteen - Grief Is The Color Gray

***Author's Notes: Since we never got the SwanQueen hug that we all deserved, I wrote one into the chapter! There's some Regina and Emma in this one and some Emma and Killian. Please don't get too worked up about Emma and Killian having a heart-to-heart because that's all it really is. They are good friends and I think that it's equally as important to develop that relationship as it is to develop Emma's obviously growing affections for Regina. Let me know your thoughts!***

Regina squeezes her eyes shut tightly when she feels the sunlight hit her face. She turns her body away from the light but quickly realizes that she seems to have very limited mobility and when she feels a hand move along her waistline, her eyes shoot open and she starts panicking. She is careful not to make any sudden movements but blinks her eyes a few time trying to remember where she is. She is instantly relieved when she sees she is still in the bar.

Then Regina thinks back to last night. She remembers Danielle making an unexpected visit and what a huge ordeal it turned out to be. She thinks about Killian and how he surely hurt himself punching the wall. She sighs thinking about what a mess everything turned out to be but mostly, she is worried about Killian because she recalls how angry and upset he was when he left. Then she remembers Emma coming back to the bar to check on her and she freezes. She turns back slowly to see the blonde sleeping on her back beside her, one arm protectively around her waist, and the other one up over her face blocking the sun that is hitting her in the eyes.

Regina releases the breath that she did not even know she was holding. She squeezes her eyes shut again and bites down on her lower lip, contemplating her options. She needs to get up without waking Emma which is going to be problematic considering she is currently blocked in by her. There is no way that she is going to be able to pull it off. She begins wondering how the both of them got into this situation in the first place. She recalls how upset she was and all the bourbon she had while she was telling Emma about what happened between her and Danielle. She also remembers how comfortable she felt when Emma was holding her. The combination of those things must have caused her to fall asleep at some point.

Regina lays there for another minute or two until she feels Emma start to move beneath her. She decides to take the opportunity to get up as swiftly as she could. Unfortunately, she momentarily forgets about Emma's arm around her waist and she is pulled back down towards the sofa when she tries to get up. The motion causes her to accidentally wake Emma with a sharp jab from her elbow into the other woman's chest.

"OW!" Emma cries, completely out of breath from the strike to her sternum.

"Oh my god, Emma! I'm so sorry." Regina reaches out instinctively to touch the spot on Emma's chest trying to rub out the pain she has just caused the other woman. Seconds later when she realizes that she is still on top of Emma and also rubbing on her chest, she pulls away quickly and pushes herself up onto her feet.

Emma continues to rub on the sore spot when she finally looks at Regina and smirks. "Geez woman, that elbow of yours is no joke. I guess you really wanted to get me back for that very first night out on the sidewalk."

Relieved that Emma is more focused on that than the fact that they were just intimately sharing the sofa, she apologizes again frowning. "I'm really sorry."

Emma laughs this time. "It's fine. I'll live." Then she looks Regina in the eyes, her expression changing to one of concern. "How are you feeling?" She asks.

"I'm fine." Regina answers almost too quickly.

Emma looks at her skeptically. "You got something more convincing than that?"

Regina looks at Emma and sees that she is not going to be able to fool her. She sighs and sits back down. "I'm better today. And it gets easier everyday." She pauses for a moment so that she can gather her thoughts. "I never expected to see Danielle again after the split." She shakes her head. "I don't think that Killian did either. For as hurt and angry as I am, I know that it's just as much of a nightmare for him, and that part of it makes it all so much worse for me."

Emma nods but does not reply.

Regina continues. "I've been beating myself up for the last several months because it was my idea for us to spend the holidays together. I keep thinking that maybe if I didn't suggest it, that things would still be alright. Or, at the very least, Killian would still have his wife."

"Regina…"

"She proposed to me because she wanted to get a reaction out of her. She actually went out and bought a ring, planned an engagement, and she proposed to me, Emma. Who does that? When I saw her last night, I saw exactly who she really is. And I think that one day, I will finally be able to forgive myself for not seeing it any sooner." Regina looks over at Emma and takes a deep breath. "Is that better?"

Emma smiles and puts her hand on top of Regina's and squeezes it reassuringly. "Yes. And I would just like to say that even though I haven't known you for very long, you are the strongest and bravest woman that I know."

Regina rolls her eyes with much more exaggeration than she usually does.

Emma laughs and squeezes Regina's hand again, this time more playfully. "Weren't you just going to say 'thank you' every time you felt the need to roll your eyes at me?"

Regina pulls her hand away and stands up. "No. Because you're ridiculous." But as she walks away, she could not help but smile.

"Well.." Emma stutters trying to think of a comeback but falls short. "Well, you snore!"

Regina whips around quickly to deny the claim. "I do not!"

"You're right, you don't snore." Emma laughs. "But you definitely like to cuddle. That wasn't something I was expecting." Emma says with a smirk.

Regina feels warmth in her face just thinking about Emma's arms wrapped around her all night long as they were sleeping. But, she was not about to back down. "That sofa is so small, I don't blame you for mistaking any of that for cuddling."

"Uh huh. You can try to deny it but I know what happened." Emma says still grinning. "So...did you sleep well? Because I did."

"I slept alright considering the circumstances." Before Emma can say anything else that makes her feel more embarrassed, Regina turns towards the clock on the wall and groans audibly. She has a little over an hour before she has to open up the bar.

Emma seems to know exactly what Regina is thinking. "Hey, why don't you go home and rest? I'll just run back to my place, jump in the shower really quickly, and come back to take the first shift. You could probably use a hot shower and your bed."

"Emma, I-"

"I insist. I don't have anything going on today. And if you get enough rest, you can always stop by later."

Regina smiles gratefully at Emma knowing very well that she could use a bit more sleep. "Thank you, Emma."

"It's really not a problem. Now let's get you out of here."

Emma walks over to get her jacket that is still sitting on the bar from the night before and she watches as Regina walks into the back office to get her things. Emma smiles to herself as she thinks about her interactions with Regina this morning. It seems to be getting easier for Regina to open up to her. Sharing her story about her relationship with Danielle and then telling her the truth about how she was feeling this morning are things that Emma really appreciates because she knows how difficult it is to let someone new in. And she was not lying when she told Regina how brave and strong she really is. She thinks back to when she first saw Danielle and how beautiful and put together she seemed at first glance. And from what Regina told her, a big time attorney, so she is obviously an intelligent woman as well. How incredibly stupid would you have to be to give up someone as incredible as Regina, she muses.

Regina can see that Emma is lost in her thoughts and wonders what she is thinking about or if Emma sees her differently than she had before, after what she has learned. It was a very kind gesture for Emma to come back to check up on her last night and finally talking to someone about what happened has somehow helped her to feel better about it. Even though Danielle may not have gotten the closure that she was seeking by stopping by to see her, Regina knows that it has helped her to take a step towards letting that part of her life go.

"Are you ready to go? I can drop you off on my way home."

The sound of Regina's voice pulls Emma away from her thoughts. "Oh, yeah. That would be great. Thanks."

Regina nods and starts walking towards the front door. Before she opens it, she turns around to find that Emma is right on her heels. She reaches out to grab Emma's arm in order to keep the other woman from walking right into her.

Emma grabs onto Regina as well. Then she says as she is laughing, "You need to give a girl some warning before you make sudden movements like this. I could have taken you out."

"I'm sorry, I just really wanted to thank you again." Regina says softly.

"Regina, I told you, it's fine. I would just be at home laying around anyway."

"No. I mean, yes. Thank you for that." Regina looks into Emma's eyes making sure that she understands how important this is to her. "But, what I meant was that I really wanted to thank you for last night. For coming back and forcing me to talk. And for doing it again this morning. I think that I really needed the push."

"You don't have to thank me for that, Regina. I told you last night, I want us to be friends." Emma smiles. "I want you to know that you can trust me and can come to me whenever you need someone to talk to."

Regina nods. "And that goes both ways, Emma. If you ever feel the need for someone to talk to, please know that I'm here for you as well."

"I know." Emma says. "And I really appreciate it."

Without really thinking about it, Regina moves closer to Emma and wraps her arms around her in a hug.

Emma folds her arms easily around Regina's waist and pulls her in tightly. Emma knows that she is enjoying their closeness more than she should be and pulls herself back away from Regina. She smiles again trying to hide her anxiousness and luckily, Regina does not seem like she notices any of the awkwardness. She follows Regina out and pulls out her keys to lock the door. Then she follows Regina as they walk to her car. But for the rest of the morning, Emma broods about how the sudden shift in her relationship with Regina may have inadvertently caused a stir of new feelings that will make things very complicated for her.

* * *

Killian shows up to the bar a whole half hour before the beginning of his shift in hopes that he could talk to Regina. He knows that he has some groveling to do and he wanted to tell her that he would cover the costs for fixing the wall that he has damaged. When we walks in, he is surprised to see that Emma is standing behind the bar instead. She is talking and laughing with one of the regulars sitting at the bar and when she sees him, she smiles. He walks over, shakes hands with the man who is now getting up and ready to leave, and then walks into the back to put his jacket in Regina's office.

When he reappears, Emma has just cleaned the bar and is sipping from a mug. He looks at her curiously so she says, "I brought some hot chocolate packets. And there is some whipped cream in the cooler. Help yourself."

Killian shakes his head. "Maybe later. Where's Regina? Is she alright?"

Emma nods. "Yeah, she's alright. She's at home, probably catching up on some sleep. How are you?"

"I'm fine." He answers.

Emma just laughs and takes another sip of her hot chocolate.

"What's so funny?"

"I just can't tell you how tired I am of hearing those two words. It's really irritating, Killian." Emma looks at Killian and watches as he furrows his brow in confusion. "Are you actually fine? If you tell me yes, I won't ask you again and I'll leave it alone because the last thing I want is to be annoying about it."

Killian wonders what has gotten into Emma and why all of a sudden she is being so brash but it quickly dawns on him. "Regina told you everything, didn't she?"

Emma puts her mug down and folds her arms across her chest. "Yeah. She did."

Killian sighs. "You know what I spent all of last night doing?" Emma does not answer him so he continues. "I spent all night worrying about Regina because as much as I hate Danielle, seeing her was easier than it would have been for me to see Elle. And you know what, Regina was just so damned good at it. She never once wavered."

"Well, Regina is pretty much a rockstar when it comes to harboring her feelings. But it did get pretty heated towards the end there. I thought that she was going to lose her cool so many times last night."

"I shouldn't have provoked her. I know that I made things worse. It's just that...seeing that horrible woman in here after so long. I wanted to throw her out of here by her hair for hurting Regina the way that she did. It's funny because I'm more angry at her for that than I am that she stole my wife away from me."

They do not say anything else for a moment. Emma picks her mug up again and sips at it. Then she timidly asks "Have you seen Elle at all? I mean, since March?"

Killian scrunches his face and shakes his head. "No. She didn't even have the decency to have a conversation with me about it after they told us and it is not for the lack of trying because I must have left her hundreds of messages that week. She must have had her shit packed up and out of the house that morning because by the time I made it home, it was like she never lived there."

Emma frowns. She does not understand how anyone could be so cruel to someone they shared a bed with for so long. "So, when you were looking to the front door last night after Danielle got here, you were looking for her." Emma states knowing already what his answer will be. "Would you have wanted to see her?"

Killian chuckles dryly. "I have been thinking about that since the bitch left here last night. And I honestly don't know. I may have wanted to in that moment but I can't tell you what my reaction would have been if she had come into the bar."

"Regina told me that you were together for a long time…" Emma trails off not even knowing where the thought was going to take her.

"Yes, but I guess it wasn't long enough to really know the woman. We were together for eight years, married for five, and not once in the time that I've known her did she ever even mention that she was attracted to women. Losing her was one thing, but losing her to someone that I could never compete with is why I'm still so angry. And gods, Emma. I still love her. I'm still in love with her and I don't know how to let her go." Killian pulls the chain that he has around his neck from inside his shirt to reveal his wedding band on the end of it. "Do you know how many times I've walked down to the waterfront wanting to toss this into the Sound? And I can't do it because I am a fool."

"Killian, there isn't anything I can say that will make you feel better if you're not ready to feel better. I know this because I know how it feels to be heartbroken. And no one can tell you to stop grieving when you're not ready to because it isn't just black and white. It's mostly just gray and messy. But, I can tell you that you are not a fool. If loving makes us foolish, then all of us are fools."

"No, you're right. I suppose I'm just not ready to let it go."

"Regina told me today that seeing Danielle helped her to see who she really is and it may help her to heal from it. Maybe that is what you need, too. But only you will know that for sure."

"I'm not ready to see her. I'm still too angry about it." Killian says.

"Well, you knowing that is probably a huge part of the battle."

Killian nods. "So, is that chocolate thing you've got there any good? I think I need one."

Emma laughs. "It is with some Baileys in it. It'll probably taste just like home to you. Hand me a mug and I'll make you one."

Killian grabs one and hands it to Emma. He watches as she mixes the cocoa powder with some hot water. When that is done, she reaches onto the shelf to grab the bottle of Baileys pouring a generous helping into the mug as well. She tops it off with a little whipped cream and hands it to him. Killian takes a sip and smiles. "This is better than I thought it would be."

"They are even better with milk but I was too lazy to heat any up. Regina doesn't like it when I make a mess of her kitchen anyway."

Killian nods and slowly smiles at Emma. "So, she's alright then?"

"Yeah, she's okay. And the both of you will be more than alright eventually. I will personally see to that." Killian smiles at her and she is finally convinced that he will be just fine. "Now, can you please get your ass in the kitchen and get ready for work because I need you to make me some lunch. I'm starving."

"Yes, ma'am! Cheeseburger, no ketchup, coming right up!" Killian says as he walks into the kitchen with his Irish hot chocolate.


	14. Fourteen - It Is All In The Eyes

***Author's Note: Happy Friday! Or almost-Friday if you're on Pacific Standard Time like I am. It's been a very long week for me and I'm hoping that yours was better than mine. So, anyway. If you are a fan of Indiana Jones, there's some of that in this chapter. OR if you are a fan of Emma and Regina hanging out, there's a lot of that in this one, too. I think that it's a fun one but please let me know what you think.***

"Regina, I want this one!" Emma yells from across the showroom floor.

Regina walks over and puts her hands on her hips and looking down at Emma who is sprawled out on what looks to be a super comfortable loveseat. "You are such a child. Must you yell so loudly in a place of business? Everyone is staring at us."

Emma rolls her eyes. "They are not. You're over-exaggerating. Now come sit down and tell me this isn't the most comfortable one so far." She pulls on the corner of Regina's top which earns her a glare. Then she pouts her lips and frowns.

"You're lucky we're in public, Swan." Regina says as she sits down next to Emma. She hates to admit it when Emma is right but of all the couches that they have looked at and sat on today, and it has been a very long day indeed, this one is the most comfortable one of all. "It'll do." She says.

Emma smiles. "Do you honestly like it or are you just agreeing because you're tired of shopping with me?"

"Yes, I do honestly like it. But I'm also very tired, Emma. We have been at this for hours now. Didn't you tell me that Ruby was expecting you to have inflatable furniture anyway? You should have just gotten that." Regina says.

"Well, that's exactly why I really wanted to surprise her with something nicer. She's gonna flip out when she sees this instead." Emma laughs.

Regina reaches over to the side table of the display where all the pricing is listed. She finds the price of the loveseat and her eyes widen. "Well, something nicer will certainly cost you a whole lot more than the one-hundred and forty dollars that Amazon was advertising." She hands the pricing list to Emma before getting up.

"What?! Holy shit. I can't afford this. It's over three hundred dollars more than I wanted to spend." Emma sighs and gets up. Then she puts her hands in her pockets and frowns at Regina. "Let's just get out of here. Are you hungry? I'll buy dinner. I'll even splurge and get an appetizer." She tries to joke to make herself feel better.

Regina studies her for a moment. Then she walks over to the gentleman standing a few feet away. He has been following them around the store hoping for a sale and Regina knows that she is about to make his day. "Sir, we'll take that one." She points over towards the loveseat by where Emma is still standing. "I understand that you are doing a special with free delivery right now? How soon will we be able to get it?"

Emma's eyes widen when she hears Regina and she walks quickly over to where she and the furniture salesman is standing. "Wait! Sorry mister, my friend here is mistaken. We aren't actually interested." She grabs Regina's arm and pulls her off to the side. "What are you doing? I just told you that I can't afford it."

"Emma, you've been looking for days and this has been the only thing that you have even come remotely close to liking. We are getting it. I will give you whatever you are short and you can just pay me back when you have it." Regina argues.

"Regina, I can't let you do that…"

Regina does not back down. "Emma, look. I know where you live and I know where you work. Also, I know that you probably won't get another good night's sleep until you have paid me back. Because that is just who you are. So just let me do this for you. Please."

Emma sighs. Every time Emma thinks that she can find a way to keep from falling for Regina, the woman does something incredibly sweet making her more likable than before and it is really starting to drive her crazy.

Regina does not wait for an answer. She takes Emma's arm and pulls her back over to where the man is still standing, trying to look as if he has not been listening to their whole conversation. "We'll take it."

* * *

"You could've at least let me buy dinner after everything you've done for me today. Now I feel even worse than I did before." Emma says as she frowns into her plate of pasta.

Regina puts her fork down and brings her napkin up to wipe her mouth. Then she looks at over at Emma who is now just pushing the tortellini in her plate around. She sighs. "Emma, look at me." She waits for a second and when Emma looks up, she asks, "So, tell me something. If it was Ruby who was in the furniture store with you today and she offered to help you, would you have taken her money?"

"In a heartbeat, but that's different." Emma says.

"How is it different?"

"Regina, because she's not my boss."

Regina shakes her head. "Okay. So, I'm just your boss, now? So, when it is convenient for you and you want do something to help me, we're good friends. But when I want to do something to help you, I'm just your boss?" She tries but has a difficult time hiding the fact that she is hurt by Emma's statement.

"Regina, that's not what I meant."

Regina raises an eyebrow. "Oh? Then please, tell me what you really mean."

"I'm sorry." Emma sighs. "I'm just embarrassed, okay? Ruby knows that I'm a hot mess. Borrowing money from her isn't that big a deal to me. But it is if I borrow it from you because I don't want you to think any less of me."

Regina blinks a few times and then shakes her head completely bewildered. "First of all, I'm offended that you think that I would ever think any less of you for any reason at all, but especially this. And second, you are hardly a mess. You moved here with nothing but three boxes of your things and your car. You've been working any and all odd jobs that have been thrown your way in order to make ends meet. Why in the world would you ever think that you are a mess? Emma, everything you've done and the person that you are is nothing short of amazing. It is incredibly admirable."

"I don't know." Emma cannot help but smile at Regina's compliment. "I guess I just really want you to like me."

Regina laughs. "Well, I think that I've already proved to you that I like you. I did just buy you dinner. I've spent my whole day furniture shopping with you and I invited you over here again. You probably know by now that I don't invite just anyone into my home."

Emma's heart flutters at Regina's comment and she smiles widely. "Well, I would really like to stay on your good list. So, I'd appreciate any tips that you may have for me."

"That doesn't take much. Maybe just don't cheat on me or take off with my friend's wife and you should be in a pretty good place." Regina picks her fork up again and begins picking at her salad.

Emma chuckles. "Okay, yikes. I'm going to assume that you're actually starting to really get over this since you can joke about it."

Regina just smirks. "I guess so."

"Anyway, all joking aside, thank you again. I'm super excited that I now have both a TV and a couch. I'm ready for that movie-marathon-sleepover thing that we talked about. Just let me know whenever you're ready." Emma secretly wishes that it'll be sooner rather than later because just the thought of sleeping next to Regina again has her heart fluttering.

Regina thinks about it for a moment. She made Emma feel so bad earlier that maybe this is what she needs to do to reassure her. "I thought we were going to do that over here? We can do it tonight if you want. If you can help me set up the television and DVD player in my bedroom, we can watch it in there. I'd rather be in bed than on the couch because I guarantee that I will fall asleep before you do. I wouldn't want you to have to carry me to bed." She says jokingly.

Completely surprised, Emma tries not to stutter when she answers. "Oh, yeah. I can do tonight. And I should be able to move your TV and get it set up. I mean, how hard can that be?" She is immediately smiling uncontrollably.

Regina nods. "Alright, well, let me clean this up and jump in the shower really quickly. You're welcome to take one, too, if you want. I'll get you something to change into since I highly doubt that you want to go to sleep in those tight things you call pants."

Emma laughs. "A shower would be nice and I will take something to change into unless you're okay with me sleeping in my underwear." Emma blushes when she says that but she continues her thought. "I can do the dishes. You should go take a shower first. I will set up everything else up after I'm finished cleaning up."

Regina's thoughts are still on Emma sleeping in her underwear when she sees that Emma is looking at her for a response. "Oh, yes. I'll go take a shower first." It will have to be a cold one if she does not get her mind out of the gutter, she thinks to herself. "You can put the television on the dresser. We should be able to see it from the bed. There's a power strip behind the vanity."

"Perfect." And after Regina walks away, Emma takes a deep breath and collects their dishes. As she is washing them, she tries to push away all of her negative thoughts about how this sleepover could potentially be disastrous for her, but at the same time, she does not allow herself to get too excited. Just because Regina was in love with another woman certainly does not mean that she could ever be interested in her. They are friends. Very good friends and she will just have to keep reminding herself of that fact.

When Regina comes out of the bathroom, Emma is just finishing up with the television and DVD player. Regina is drying her hair and when she is finished, she hangs the wet towel on a hook behind her door. She walks back into the bathroom and returns with a clean towel for Emma.

Emma is staring at Regina when she takes the the towel from her. "I didn't know that your hair is naturally curly."

"Oh." Regina says shyly. "It's because I always straighten it. I don't like it like this."

Emma is baffled. "What, why? It looks really good. You should definitely wear it curly more often. And before you roll your eyes at me, I mean it. I like it a lot." She adds a nod and a huge smile for emphasis.

Regina manages a smile. "Thank you, but I think it looks better straightened."

Emma shrugs. "If you say so."

"I do. Now, go jump in the shower. I'll grab something for you to wear and leave it on the counter for you."

"I really just need a pair of pajama bottoms, shorts if you have some. I have a tank top underneath this shirt. I can just wear that to sleep."

When Emma emerges from the bathroom, Regina is already sitting in bed and the menu screen for Raiders of the Lost Ark is displayed on the television. "I hope that it's okay with you that I took the liberty of choosing Indiana Jones for our first movie marathon."

Emma smiles. Regina said that this was their first movie marathon which implies there will be another and just the thought of that makes her giddy. "Of course, I love this one." Emma pulls all of her hair to the side and braids it into a side ponytail before turning off the bathroom light and walking over to the side of the bed that is currently unoccupied. She pulls back the covers and sits down. When she pulls herself into the bed, Regina points the remote and starts the film.

Thirty minutes into the film, Regina turns her lamp off and scoots lower onto the bed to make herself more comfortable. She takes her pillow and turns her body so that she can watch the movie laying down.

Emma looks over at Regina. "You're not going to sleep, are you? We haven't even gotten to the good part."

"No, but I am very tired."

"Regina, you're not supposed to sleep during a movie marathon." Emma whines. "Look how hot Karen Allen is in this part. You don't want to miss it."

"I'm not into brunettes, Em. She's not even my type." Regina says as she feels a yawn coming on.

Emma grins. Regina just called her Em and she said that she is not into brunettes. Two more points for Emma Swan, she thinks. "Well Harrison Ford is quite the looker, also…"

Regina turns around so that she is facing Emma. "I'm pretty sure you know by now that he really isn't my type either." Regina laughs. "So, there's not much in this one that is really holding my attention."

"But you picked this one, woman! And Karen Allen is super hot. You're crazy if you don't think so." Emma turns back towards the screen but can still feel Regina's eyes on her.

Regina considers Emma's last statement and wonders if Emma could be bisexual. She knows that her previous relationship was with a man but they've never really talked about any other relationships nor has she mentioned other possibilities. She turns back towards the screen when she hears Marion's voice come on so that she can decide again. "She is pretty, I suppose. But women with light hair usually have lighter eyes and I think that their eyes are what always gets me." The she lays back down and does not move again.

Emma thinks about Regina's comment about eyes. Then she thinks back to the night she saw Danielle and how the woman had the long, beautiful, strawberry-blonde hair, and the most gorgeous hazel-green eyes. Her heart tightens with jealousy at the thought of it but she shakes herself out of it. Then she thinks about Regina's chocolate brown eyes and how they brighten when she smiles. "Yeah…" Emma says softly. "I like pretty eyes, too."

After another twenty minutes or so later, Regina turns away from the television so that the light from the screen is not in her face.

Emma leans down and tries to get her attention. "Hey, let's get you straightened out so that you don't sleep in this weird position all night."

Regina mumbles something that is completely incoherent before she pushes herself up to let Emma move her pillow back to where the headboard is. Then she lays back down and turns towards Emma with her arms up by her face.

Emma gets up and turns both the DVD player and the television off before sliding back into the bed. She fluffs her pillow and lays down facing Regina. When Emma's eyes finally adjusts to the darkness and she can see the other woman's face, she frowns. This woman is going to be so much trouble for her, she just knows it. Of all the people in Seattle for her to fall for, she is falling for one of her only friends. Not to mention, the woman who is also her boss. She reaches over and moves a stray curl that has fallen onto Regina's face and then puts her hand back down on the bed so that their fingers are touching, but not enough to where it will wake Regina. Her last thought before closing her eyes is how very inconvenient all of this is going to be.

The next morning, when Emma wakes up, she almost forgets where she is. She can feel a hand on her bare stomach and realizes when she can also feel a warm body right up against her back that she is currently the little spoon to Regina's big spoon. She reaches for Regina's hand and gently holds it for a while trying to enjoy moment before she slowly removes it and slides out of bed quietly. She grabs her jeans and changes quickly before going into the living room to grab her jacket, phone, and keys. She is just about out the door when she thinks of something else she needs to do. First, she starts a pot of coffee for Regina and leaves a note for her right next to it. Then she tiptoes her way back into the bathroom, careful not to wake Regina. It takes her a couple minutes to find what she is looking for. She takes it and tiptoes back out of the bedroom. Afterwards, she goes back the the coffee maker and adds something else to the note before she leaves the apartment. On her way home, she dials Ruby's number. As expected, Ruby does not answer so she leaves her friend a message. "Hey Rubes, please call me back as soon as you get this. I really need to talk to you. I'm in so much trouble."

When Regina's alarm goes off and she wakes ups, the first thing she notices is that Emma is gone. She pulls herself out of bed and walks into the living room area. "Emma?" When there is no reply, she walks into the kitchen and sees that Emma has made her coffee and has left a note. She pulls a mug from the cabinet above and pours herself a cup. She takes a sip of it before she picks up the note to read it.

" _Regina-I didn't want to wake you because I know that you were really tired last night. I have some errands to run today before Ruby gets here later in the week. I'll text you later._

 _P.S. I swear that one of these days, we will watch a movie from beginning to end. I will never give up until we do._

 _P.P.S. I may or may not have taken your hair straightener hostage. If you want it back, you can come and retrieve it at my place. Ransom: A signed I.O.U by Regina Mills stating that she will wear her natural, curly hair for an entire day when she hangs out with Emma Swan."_

Regina tries to get angry at Emma but she finds it very difficult. Instead, she just smiles as she takes another drink of her coffee.


	15. Fifteen - When The Old Meets The New

***Author's Notes: So sorry that this update took me so long. I took a trip back to the Midwest last weekend and it's thrown me off quite a bit. In this chapter, Ruby is finally visiting and and I think that it's going to be a fun visit. I actually have Chapter 16 finished already as well, and it's a Halloween chapter. Unless convinced otherwise, I will probably wait to post it next weekend. As always, thanks for reading and for your support. It means the world to me.***

Regina is knocking on Emma's door as soon as she is dressed for work to get her straightening iron and she makes it perfectly clear that she absolutely will not be giving in to her ransom demands. "Emma, you're being so ridiculous. Just give it back to me."

Emma flashes her a toothy smile. "But your hair looks really good today."

"Emma, I mean it." Regina states but without very much anger in her tone.

"You are going to have to go into work au naturel today if you don't just pay up soon. You have about forty-five minutes." Emma says as she glances down at her phone screen for the time.

Regina glares. "You're so infuriating." She tries to change Emma's mind for another ten minutes, but eventually lets it go. She has to convince herself that it is only because it is getting closer and closer to the time that she has to be at the bar and that she should ultimately accept that Emma will not give in. So, she reluctantly writes out an I.O.U. with exactly what Emma dictates, signing it at the bottom for authenticity. "There, are you happy?" She says as she hands Emma the piece of paper.

"Actually, I'm very happy." Emma smiles.

"Now, I need to use your bathroom so I can fix this mess." Regina says as she pulls at a few stray curls.

Emma sighs. "Go ahead but I still think that you should leave it."

Regina completely disregards Emma's comment and pushes past her and into the bathroom. Within minutes, she is exiting the bathroom again with her hair straight and silky just as it always is. Then she says a quick goodbye and is out the door before Emma can even manage to get in a word.

Emma is smiling as she lays down on her bed with the I.O.U in her hands. She looks at the handwritten note and beams proudly as she reads it. "I, Regina Mills, promise to spend one full day with Emma Swan without straightening my curly hair and she may use this voucher whenever she pleases." Emma is already picturing that day when she hears her phone ringing, so she puts her daydreaming on hold and reaches for it. She answers right away when she sees who it is. "Hey Rubes."

"Emma? Are you still alive? Is everything alright?!" Ruby says, worried and exasperated.

"What? Yes, of course. What are you talking about?" Emma answers, confused.

"You called me! Why the hell would you leave me a voicemail telling me that you were in trouble? I was freaking out!"

Emma laughs. "Oh, shit. Rubes, I'm sorry. I guess it must have sounded more urgent than I meant it to."

Ruby sighs. "Well, thank goodness, I guess. So, do you want to tell me what they hell is wrong? What's going on?"

Emma takes a deep breath. She gets up and puts her note from Regina away in her wallet that is sitting on her dresser before falling back onto her bed. "You know, it's really just the same old stuff that always gets me in trouble."

Ruby laughs and is all of a sudden even more excited for her visit than she already was. "Oh my god, Emma. It's Killian isn't it? I totally called it. Start talking, babe."

"What? Killian? Ruby, no. This has nothing to do with Killian."

"What? It doesn't? Wait. I'm confused."

"I mean, it is probably what you're thinking but it's not Killian that you will need to worry about." Emma rephrases so that Ruby knows that she is somewhat on the right track.

"Who else could it be? You haven't talked about anyone else that you've met in Seattle. All you ever talk about is Killian and Regina. Have you been holding out on me, Swan?"

Emma sighs. "So, something happened last week that I probably need to tell you about first..."

"Okay. That doesn't sound cryptic at all."

And so Emma takes a deep breath and tells Ruby everything. She starts with the part about Danielle and when she comes into the bar. She tells Ruby about Killian's reaction and then how upset Regina got that night. Ruby is equally as surprised as she was when she learns that Regina was once engaged to a woman and that Killian was married.

Emma talks about how great Regina is and how she handled everything in a way that is unlike anyone that she has every met. She slyly leaves out the part about the sleepover they had just last night as well as when they slept together on the sofa in the bar earlier in the week, but she tells Ruby about the furniture shopping and how Regina helped her pick out almost all the furnishings that she has in the condo. When the Emma is done, she notices that the other end of the line is silent. "Rubes? Are you still there."

"Oh, yeah. I'm still here."

"Well? I mean, you haven't really said much. It's kinda scary."

Ruby sighs. "I'm just still trying to take it all in, that's all." There is a few more seconds of silence before she speaks up again. "So…"

"So?"

"You're in love... with Regina?" Ruby ask hesitantly.

"No, I'm not in love with her. I just...I don't know. She's my boss. And anyway, she's out of my league, right?" Emma asks her best friend hoping that she will get a truthful answer but continues to talk before Ruby can answer. "You should have seen that chick, Danielle. Regina's ex. She is...wow...I mean, she is really something. I don't think that I'm really Regina's type. She obviously-"

"Swan, stop babbling for a second." Ruby laughs again. "Back it up for just a moment. I think you're getting way ahead of me, and way ahead yourself right now... Okay, so, you aren't in love with her-"

"I said that I don't know, Ruby!" Emma argues.

Ruby lets out a frustrated growl. "Em, let me finish what I have to say, okay?" Emma nods to herself quietly and Ruby takes the silence as confirmation so she continues. "So, let me reword this, so you don't have a cow. You like her, right? Can we at least put that out on the table?"

Emma thinks for a moment before answering apprehensively, "Yes. I like her."

"Alright, that's a start." Ruby chuckles. "And judging from your word vomit just a minute ago, you don't think that she shares the same sentiments. Am I getting warmer?"

"Yes…" Emma replies softly.

"Okay, so here's the thing. And Em, I'm just gonna come out and say it. And don't you dare turn around and just brush off everything I'm saying. You have to hear me out, okay?"

"Okay, fine." Emma says, more irritated now than she is anxious.

"I don't know Regina but she doesn't sound like she's a dumb woman. You know that I think you are a catch and I am sure that she sees that, too. But, the problem we have here is that she's probably not over her ex and until she is, she's not going to even think about dating anyone else. You said that all of this went down in March?"

"Yes…"

"Well, that still seems like it wasn't very long ago. I'll be that it's all still really fresh. It sounds like she may really just need a good friend right now."

Emma frowns. "I know. And you're probably right."

"But, who knows. That can turn into something else later on, right?" Ruby adds so that Emma does not feel completely defeated.

"Yeah, maybe. Or maybe not." Emma mumbles more for herself than for Ruby.

Ruby shakes her head and rolls her eyes wishing that Emma could see her. "Man, apparently I really need to meet this lady. I can't even remember the last time you got this sappy and weird on me. She really has done a number on you."

Emma laughs for the first time during their conversation. "I did tell you that I thought I was in trouble. I really wasn't joking."

"Well, when I see you on Friday, I'll make sure that we smack that out of you. That's one thing that I'm still good for."

Emma shakes her head and smiles. "Speaking of that, I have to work Friday night but I'm gonna pick you up from the airport and just drop you off at my place. If you want to hang out at the bar, it's literally right up the street so you can just walk over. Is that cool?"

"Yeah, that sounds great. Haven't had the chance to watch you work behind the bar in a long time. That should be fun."

"It has been a long time, huh? And anyway, Regina's bar is really chill. I think that you'll like it."

"I'm just fucking excited to see my best friend. It's been a whole four months."

Emma smiles to herself. "I'm excited to see you, too."

"Alright, I gotta go, I have to make sure some things are taken care of around here before I leave for two weeks. And I have to start packing."

"You haven't packed? I hate that you always wait until the very last minute." Emma says.

Whatever. You know that I work very well under pressure." Ruby counters. "So, are you feeling any better? Is the crisis under wraps for now at least?"

"Yeah, I do feel better. Thanks for listening." Emma says.

"Always. Okay babe, call or text me tomorrow and we'll make plans for Friday."

"Yeah, I will. Text me your flight info again."

"Will do. Love you."

"Love you, too."

Emma ends the call and lays back thinking about the conversation. She hates it when Ruby is right but there really is no way to argue her way out of this one. Regina is too important to her and she does not want to be the one to screw up what they are building.

Emma decides that she will have to suppress whatever it is that she is feeling until Regina is ready to move on. And to be honest, when that time comes, she has little hope that Regina would even be interested in her. That thought makes her heart tighten. As much as that hurts, she knows what she needs to do. She gets up and grabs her wallet pulling out the I.O.U that Regina has written her. She studies it one last time, smiling as she thinks about their interaction just earlier. Then she folds it back up and tucks it down into one of her dresser drawers. Out of sight, out of mind, she hopes.

* * *

Ruby walks into Regina's bar on Friday night to see that it is rather busy. She looks around for Emma and does not see her anywhere but when she walks up to the bar, she sees a handsome bartender who is speaking to a couple of ladies that are sitting across from him. He seems genuinely interested in what they have to say and as she gets closer, she can hear his Irish accent. He notices her and excuses himself from his current conversation.

"Hello there. What can I get you?" Killian asks.

Ruby smiles. "Hi, I'll take a beer. Um…" She leans over so that she can see all the taps. "How about a Blue Moon?"

"Absolutely. Would you like orange with that?"

"Eh, surprise me."Ruby says with a smile and a shrug of her shoulders.

"Alright, coming right up." Killian says before turning to fill a glass for Ruby.

Emma exits the bathroom and immediately spots the leggy brunette sitting at the bar. She walks over casually, making sure to take slow, quiet steps and wraps both arms around Ruby's waist before pulling her into an embrace. "HI!" The surprise causes Ruby to nearly fall out of the chair.

"EMMA! You just scared the shit out of me!" Ruby exclaims as she is flailing to stay on the barstool.

Killian is back with Ruby's beer and finds Emma laughing hysterically while the brunette woman is glaring at her. When he puts Ruby's drink down and she turns back towards him, he says, "Ah, I take it you're the infamous best friend? Welcome to the Emerald City." Then he extends his hand. "I'm-"

"Killian." Ruby smiles. "Emma speaks very highly of you."

He raises his eyebrow and smirks. "Likewise."

She takes his hand and shakes it. "It's very nice to finally meet you. Thank you for keeping my friend over here out of trouble."

Killian laughs. "She's the one that keeps me out of trouble, generally."

"Hey Killian, all of her drinks are on me tonight. Just keep a tab for me, will ya?" Emma says. Then she turns to Ruby. "I've got both the dining room and the bar tonight so I'll be running around. Don't feel like you have to stay the whole time, okay? I'll give you my key when you want it."

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be fine. Go do your job, Swan."

Emma shakes her head at Ruby and walks away. She makes it a few steps before she turns back. "Hey, actually before it gets too much busier, there's someone else I want you to meet." They secretly share a look and Emma smiles at her friend again. Then she runs around the bar and into the back.

Ruby sighs quietly into her glass as she casually takes a drink of her beer. This is certainly going to be interesting, she thinks. Ruby is not exactly sure what she is expecting but she knows the type of people Emma usually falls for and she always seems to get herself into very disastrous situations when it comes to her romantic relationships. In Ruby's opinion, Emma has always been too giving and passive in her relationships which has lead to her being taken advantage of. So, she knows for a fact that if she sees any warning signs when she meets Regina that she will not stand for it. She made a promise to herself after everything that happened with Walsh, that she will do her best to prevent Emma from having to go through any of that again.

Emma comes back and sees that Ruby is patiently waiting. She smiles at her friend nervously trying to tell Ruby with her eyes to be nice, knowing very well that her best friend can come off as aggressive and overbearing.

Ruby returns the smile and winks at Emma hoping that will calm her nerves. This earns her a dramatic eye roll instead which makes her laugh. She is about to say something to Emma when Regina comes out from the doorway and into view. Ruby's very first thought is that the woman is extremely and unquestionably beautiful. _Damn. Good job, Swan._

Killian who is standing just at the end of the bar decides to listen in on their meeting having caught the odd looks between Emma and Ruby just a few seconds ago. He thinks that Emma has been acting strangely the last few days and he wonders if it has anything to do with her staying the night at Regina's earlier in the week. When Regina told him about it in casual conversation, she did not seem fazed by it. However, when he brought it up to Emma the next time he saw her, she looked uneasy and anxious. It was unusually out of character.

"Hello." Regina says with a brilliant smile on her face. "I'm Regina."

"Ruby." Ruby replies with an awkward wave and then extending her hand.

Regina gladly takes it. "Welcome to Seattle. Emma has been really looking forward to your visit. How are you liking it so far?"

"Well, it's only been a few hours, but I have noticed that it is very much different than back home. I can see why Emma decided to stay here."

"You are very lucky because right now it is still really nice out. I hope that it stays that way for the remainder of your trip. We usually have more wind and rain by this time of year. Emma arrived here in the summer so she hasn't really seen all the rain that Seattle has to offer either." Regina chuckles. "She may end up back in New York by Spring."

Ruby shrugs. "I don't know about that…" She trails off and looks over at Emma with a sly smile "Although, she's pretty unpredictable. I bet she'd somehow surprise both of us with what she decides to do."

Regina looks over at Emma as well. "I don't know her as well as you do, Ruby. But I'm willing to bet that you're right."

Emma looks between the two women and flushes. "Geez, guys. Why do I feel like a fish in a bowl all of a sudden? I'm gonna go get to work. I think table 4 needs some more drinks." Emma hurries off towards the dining area.

Regina laughs and turns back to Ruby. "I should probably get back to the kitchen as well. I have some more prep work to do before the dinner rush. If there is anything that you need or want, please just let Killian and Emma know. I'll probably see you a little bit later. And if not, I'm certain we'll see each other again during your stay here."

"Thank you." Ruby nods. "I'm gonna stick around for a little bit but I'll probably turn in early tonight. I've been up since five this morning traveling. But, it is very nice to meet you Regina. I'm very glad to finally put a face to a name that I'm always hearing."

"I feel the same. Emma really adores you and I'm really glad that you're here to see her. We'll chat again soon, I'm sure. Have a good night, Ruby." They exchange smiles and Regina walks back into the kitchen.

Ruby smiles into her beer as she takes another drink. When she looks up, she see Killian studying her. She smiles politely. "Penny for your thoughts, Mr. Bartender?"

Killian chuckles and shakes his head. "Nothing in particular, really. But, I overheard you talking to Regina about her name being one that you're always hearing and it just has me wondering, that's all."

Ruby raises her eyebrow inquisitively. She wonders if Killian knows about Emma's current predicament and decides that she should probably test the waters first rather than saying too much. "Well, Emma speaks about you quite a bit as well. I think that she considers herself pretty lucky to have stumbled onto this place and then not only finding work here, but being able to become friends with you and the boss-lady. She doesn't get close to very many people and she's always been kind of a loner that way, so it's nice for me to see that she has people here."

"Yes. I'd agree that it did take her a while to warm up to us. She seemed more comfortable around me than Regina for most of her time here. Or maybe that was just the feeling that I got. But, I can't help but notice that the two of them have been getting closer as of late." Killian smiles.

Ruby thinks about her answer before replying. "I wouldn't know anything about that," she lies. "For someone who calls herself my best friend, she actually doesn't talk to me nearly as much as I would like her to. I am guessing that her multiple, random jobs keep her pretty busy."

Killian nods. "She does like to keep herself busy, that one."

Emma walks up behind Killian and reaches around him so that she can grab a glass to fill with beer. "Is she giving you trouble? Just let me know and I'll throw her out." Emma says smiling.

"No, I think that I'm probably causing more trouble for her than the other way around." He grins at Ruby and then walks away, stopping to talk to the other two women that are still sitting at the bar.

Emma squints her eyes and glowers at Ruby wondering what Killian meant by his last comment.

Ruby just shrugs at her friend and finishes her beer.


	16. Sixteen - Willie And Indiana

***Author's Notes: This is my weekly update and I think that it is a fun one. I don't want to say too much because I don't want to give away anything but let me know what you think about it. And since I won't have an update until next Friday, I want to wish all my US readers a very happy Thanksgiving. I hope that get plenty of family time and good food!***

On Saturday, Ruby and Emma sleep in, have brunch, and spend the rest of the day walking around the city. Since it was such a beautiful Autumn day in Seattle, they really wanted to take advantage of it by spending it outdoors as much as possible.

On Sunday afternoon, Ruby walks over to the bar from Emma's place so she can meet her for some shopping outside of the city. Emma was supposed to help out at the bar in the evening but Regina insisted that she take the entire day off so that she could spend it with Ruby. She was reluctant because she knows that weekends have been getting more and more hectic, but she eventually agrees. However, she tells Regina and Killian that she would open on Sunday morning for them so that neither of them would have to get up early after closing the night before. Since she also has all of Monday free of work, which just happens to be Halloween, Emma has already promised Ruby that they can pick out costumes and maybe go to a party or two that night.

When Ruby arrives, the bar is empty. She sees that Killian has already started his shift and is behind the bar but Emma is nowhere is to be found.

"Hey" Killian says when he sees her. "Emma is in the back counting some inventory from today's delivery. She should be done in a little while. You want something to drink while you wait?"

"I'll take a water. I don't really want to spend my whole vacation day drinking." Ruby laughs.

"Fair enough." Killian fills a glass with ice water and puts it down on the bar for her. "So, how's day three in Seattle? Are you enjoying yourself?"

"It's great. I'm just really happy to be in the same place as Emma again. I really missed her." Ruby says.

"You think there's any chance that you'll convince her to go back to New York?" Killian asks.

Ruby raises an eyebrow. "Do you think that I'm here on a secret mission or something?"

Killian laughs. "No. But I was just asking because that's something I'd probably do if my best friend lived so far away."

"Well, she really seems to love it here. I have to be respectful of that." Ruby shrugs. "You and Regina have really made her feel at home so to be honest, she probably feels like she belongs here more than she ever did in New York."

Killian nods but does not say anything. After about a minute of silence and a lot of contemplation, he finally asks, "Is Emma gay?"

Ruby who is completely surprised by the question looks at him with the most perplexed expression. "What?" She asks.

Killian shrugs. "Does she like women?"

Ruby narrows her eyes at him. "I do actually know what gay means, but that really came out of nowhere."

Killian chuckles. "Well? Are you going to answer my question?"

Ruby shakes her head. "I don't think it's my place to tell you any of her business. Have you thought about asking Emma? That's really something she should answer."

Killian grins at Ruby and nods. "So she is, then."

"I didn't say that!" She argues.

"You didn't have to." He says.

Ruby just shakes her head and sighs. "Her her most recent relationship was with a man. So, no, she is not gay. But, if you are asking because you like her-"

"Ruby, please. I'm not asking because I like her. I mean, I do like her but not in that way that you believe." He leans back on the counter trying to choose his next words. "I'm asking because of Regina."

"Regina….? Likes Emma?" Ruby asks as she tries not to sound too excited but the conversation has suddenly peaked her interest.

"No! I mean, I don't know if she does. Why? Does Emma like Regina?" Killian asks.

"No…" Ruby hesitates before taking a drink of her water.

Killian waits until she finishes her drink and puts her glass back down before he continues. "Regina is one of my best friends. And she's been through a lot. It takes her a while to open up to people. I want to put that information out there in case you or someone you know might need it."

Ruby thinks about that for a moment before she replies. "So, let's just say hypothetically, Emma is into women and she happens to be interested in Regina. You would like me to tell her that it takes Regina a while to open up to people? Am I getting warm?"

Killian chuckles. "Exactly. If Emma were indeed interested in Regina, I'm suggesting that she would have to be pretty persistent. It isn't entirely impossible but it'll be a challenge. Hypothetically speaking, of course."

Ruby laughs. "Well, duly noted, good sir."

"In all honesty, and I expect that this stays between us, I've noticed a change in Regina lately. She's been happier and I daresay that it's because of Emma. They may think that they are being sneaky with their constant looks at each other and the flirtatious repartee, but they aren't actually very discreet." Killian smiles but gets serious again quickly. "There isn't anyone I know that deserves to be happy more than Regina does. That's what I want for her."

Ruby smiles sadly at him. "You're a very good friend."

"And I suspect that you are as well which is why I wanted to have this conversation with you." Killian smiles at her genuinely.

Ruby returns the smile and that is when they hear some shuffling in the back. Seconds later, Emma appears.

"Hey Rubes! Sorry, have you been here long." Emma says apologetically.

"Nope, just got here actually. You have perfect timing. Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah. Let's bounce. Killian, everything is accounted for and I'll see you later?"

"Yep. You ladies stay out of trouble now." Killian smiles again at Ruby who nods her head at him.

Emma puts on her jacket and leaves with Ruby following closely behind her.

They have a late lunch and discuss what it is that they will be looking for when they go shopping. After deciding that they would go as a famous couple from one of their favorite movies, they did a coin toss to see who would be wearing what.

Even though Ruby really wanted to play the female role, she was secretly pretty happy that she won the toss for the male costume. After her conversation with Killian earlier, she is excited to doll Emma up. Especially since they decided that their first stop tomorrow night will be at _Regina's._ Ruby is definitely going to have some fun with this.

"We can do Princess Leia and Han Solo." Emma says hopefully.

"Only if you wear the slave outfit." Ruby counters.

Emma shakes her head vehemently. "What? No!"

"Then no Star Wars. Because even though I love the Princess, her outfit is lame. How about Pretty Woman? Or we can always do Prince Charming and Snow White." Ruby laughs. "But you, Emma Swan, are most definitely no Snow White."

Emma rolls her eyes. But then she gets an idea. "We can do Indiana Jones? And I can be Marion." Emma says excitedly, her mind going back to the night she slept at Regina's apartment.

"She's lame, too, Ems." Ruby says. "But...we can do the Temple of Doom and you can do Willie! We could get you a red Asian-inspired lounge singer's dress and do a classic nineteen-thirties updo and makeup. That will be amazing."

"Yeah, okay. That doesn't sound too bad. Let's do it."

Emma drives them to a few Halloween superstores but they do not find anything that they are looking for. Finally, Ruby tells her that they should try some thrift stores in the area to see what they can put together.

At the thrift store, they find everything that Ruby will need to make her costume work and she even picks up a whip and a cute hat to finish off her costume.

They do not find any Asian-inspired dresses but Ruby stumbles on a red-sequined, long, strapless dress that she thinks will be perfect. She takes it and shoves it at Emma. "Go try this on."

Emma looks at the dress. "What the hell? I'm not wearing this. Look at the slit on this thing. It will show most of my ass, Ruby."

"Just go try it on. It'll look good on you."

Emma sighs and walks towards the fitting rooms.

Ruby looks through the rest of the dresses but sees nothing else that catches her eye so she too walks in the direction of the fitting rooms so that she can see what the dress looks like on Emma. She walks into the hallway and ducks down so she can find which room Emma is in. "Hey, babe, where are you at? Ems?"

Emma peeks through one of the doors. "I am absolutely not wearing this in public. I think that I'd rather be slave Leia."

"Whatever. Let me see." Ruby pushes into the fitting room to see Emma wearing the dress and it is gorgeous on her. "Oh my god. We are so getting this dress."

"Ruby, it's too tight. And it's too low cut. I feel naked."

"But you're aren't naked. And you look amazing."

"I can't." Emma shakes her head. "I won't."

Ruby sighs. "Look, you trust me, right?"

Emma nods. "Yes, but-"

"Stop. Would I ever steer you wrong?" She catches Emma's skeptical look and laughs, starting again. "Actually, don't answer that. Anyway, let me just say this. When Regina sees you in this and her jaw drops to the ground, you will thank me for it. Believe me."

Emma frowns and looks down at herself again. Then she looks back up at Ruby. "Are you sure about this?"

"Absolutely. Some smokey makeup, a good red lipstick, a hot updo, and believe me, you'll most definitely get your girl's attention."

Emma chuckles. "You're so weird. You were the one that told me that I shouldn't even pursue Regina. And now you're telling me that I'm going to 'get the girl'. I don't know which advice of yours is the one I should take."

"What I told you was that you should be her friend. If you can have some fun doing it, why not? It could be interesting to see how she responds to it."

Emma rolls her eyes at her friend. "You're something else. Now get out of here so I can get out of this thing. It's so tight, it feels like a second skin."

Ruby grins and leaves the dressing room. _Tomorrow night is going to be very interesting, indeed_.

* * *

Ruby is just about to pull open the door to _Regina's_ when Emma pulls onto her arm, once again having second thoughts about the whole thing. "Rubes, I think we should switch costumes. You would be so much more comfortable in this one." Emma whines.

"Em, I won the coin toss, fair and square. You just need to suck it up and get over it." Ruby smiles at her friend. "Plus, you already have your hair done and geezus, all of that lipstick."

"You told me to wear this color! I told you that I couldn't do the red. Do I look ridiculous? Oh god, I'm going back home to change." She turns to walk away but Ruby grabs her by the arm.

"Emma! I'm kidding. Come on, you're being a child."

Emma shakes her head. "This dress is too tight. And I'm gonna fall over in these shoes before I even have one drink in me."

"Em, listen to me. Regina is going to die when she sees you in that. Trust me, this is the first year since junior high I've worn pants on Halloween and I'm only okay with it because you are rocking the hell out of that dress. Now, can we please just go in there so that you can try to win that woman's heart?"

Emma closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "Fine. But, if it gets too awkward, we will leave and find another party. You promised."

"Of course. We'll go wherever you'd like. I promise." Then Ruby extends her arm for Emma to take ahold of. "Now, my beautiful Willie, shall we?"

Emma takes Ruby's arm and follows her into the bar. Once they are inside, they see the place has more people in it than the normal Monday night crowd. Even though no one is paying the two of them any attention, it does little to calm Emma's nerves. Ruby puts her hand on the Emma's lower back trying to reassure you again but at the same time lightly pushing her towards the bar. Emma takes another deep breath and walks towards Killian and Regina.

Killian is wearing a long leather trench coat with a silver pentacle necklace of some sort around his neck. She will have to ask him who he's dressed as later. And from what she can see of Regina, she is not dressed in a costume at all. Killian spots her first and has do a double take, his eyes widening.

Regina sees the look on Killian's face and turns curiously. She sees Ruby first and smiles widely. "Why hello there, Dr. Jones." She is just about to ask Ruby where Emma is when she notices that the blonde is standing right beside her friend. Regina tries to hide the look of shock on her face. "Emma. Wow." She nervously adjusts her glasses and tries speaking again. "Emma, you look...stunning."

Killian laughs behind her. "Damn, Swan. Nicely done. I hardly recognize you. Who the bloody hell are you supposed to be?"

Regina answers for her. "I do believe that she's the Willie Scott to Ruby's Indiana Jones. The Temple of Doom, right?" She adds with a smirk.

"Who?" Killian asks again.

They both ignore Killian.

Emma chuckles nervously. "Well, kind of anyway. This is the only dress that we could find that looked even remotely close. I feel more like Jessica Rabbit than I do Willie."

Regina can feel the warmth in her cheeks but cannot take her eyes away from Emma's. "I think that you make quite the convincing Willie actually." Regina says still smiling. "Especially standing next to your Indiana."

Ruby, of course, notices the red in Regina's face and looks over at Killian, smiling at him. It seems that so far, things are going swimmingly.

And when Emma's heart stops pounding, she sees that Regina is in fact wearing a costume. She has on slacks and a white dress shirt. Her shirt is halfway open and she has a undone tie hanging around her neck. Underneath her white shirt, is a blue Superman T-shirt. The whole ensemble is complete with the dark, thick-rimmed glasses that Emma has only seen Regina in a few times. Emma smiles at Regina. "You dressed up. I didn't think that you would. Even though it's a pretty lame costume."

"I do still have to do my job, Emma. And not all of us can run around in that." Regina nonchalantly motions her hand in Emma's direction referring to her outfit. "I would never be able to pull that off while...you look absolutely beautiful."

This time, Emma blushes. "That's a lie. I think that you would look amazing in this."

Regina rolls her eyes knowing very well that it would elicit at least a smile out of Emma and she is right.

Emma chuckles and shakes her head. "And you always say that I'm the impossible one."

This makes Regina laugh but she smiles genuinely at Emma afterwards.

Ruby looks between the two women and then over at Killian again, who is now trying to suppress a laugh of his own, and she shakes her head. "Well, I don't know about you, Em, but I really need a drink. Killian, if you don't mind?"

"Of course, m'lady. A beer for you and.. " Killian turns to Emma. "A bourbon, Swan?"

Emma finally looks away from Regina for the first time since she made it up to the bar. "Yes, please."

Killian gives them their drinks and Ruby motions to a hightop by the billiards table. "Em, let's go sit and let Regina and Killian do their job."

Emma agrees and follows Ruby to the table sitting down with a dreamy look still in her eyes.

"Snap out of it, woman. You're not making it look obvious at all." Ruby states sarcastically. "Let's go have fun!"

And that is exactly what they do. At some point in the evening, Ruby makes friends with a table of gentleman dressed as DC Superheroes. They are all obviously younger than her and Emma but still offered to buy all the rounds probably hoping that the evening would work out in their favor. Ruby is playing pool with their new friends when Emma eventually breaks away and walks up to the bar with her drink.

Regina sees her approaching the bar and smiles at her. "You look like you're having fun."

"Oh yeah. Tons." Emma says dryly before she takes the last gulp of her bourbon. Then she leans over the bar reaching her glass out to Regina and grins. "What would I have to do to convince you to top me off, bartender?"

Regina grabs the bottle of Makers but hesitates. Then she narrows her eyes at Emma for a second. "Hmmm…" Regina smiles and leans over as well, getting as close as she can to Emma's face before turning a just a tad to whisper in her ear. "You could give me that I.O.U back."

Emma tries to speak but her mouth goes dry. And when Regina pulls away, she has what Emma thinks is the prettiest smile on her face which makes her completely tongue-tied. "Uh...I don't. I actually-"

Regina laughs. And then she takes Emma's glass from her and pours her a double before handing it back to her. "I probably should have held out a minute longer because it looks like you were actually considering it for a second."

Emma is finally able to speak again now that Regina is a safe distance away from her. "I was actually going to say that I don't have it with me. It's in a safe spot at home."

"You could just rip it up. I would be quite alright with that as well." Regina says grinning.

Emma thinks about that for a second. She really could just rip it up and it would make things easier for her, and Regina would probably be very happy about it. "Or we could just make plans right here and right now so you can stop worrying about when I'm going to surprise you with it."

Regina chuckles. "I had a feeling you weren't going let me off. But, I'm in no hurry for you to use it, believe me."

Emma smiles. Just as she was about to reply, she feels an arm around her waist. She turns expecting Ruby but it is one of the men that they have been drinking with.

"Hey there, Gorgeous. We're missing you over there." He says to Emma. He turns his attention to Regina who is glaring at him. "Whatever she is drinking, you can put on my tab." He winks.

"Gladly." Regina says still glaring.

Emma removes his arm from around her. "Actually, Regina, I will be buying my own drink." She turns towards the man. "If you would like to keep your arm, I'd suggest that you never touch me again."

He scoffs. "Whatever, bitch. Your friend is hotter than you anyway." As he turns and starts to walk away, Emma intentionally sticks her leg out and he trips, falling onto the floor. He gets up immediately and is in Emma's face. "You did that on purpose, you stupid bitch!"

Within seconds, Killian is around the bar and pulling the man away from Emma. "I think that's quite enough, my friend. Step away from the lady."

The group of guys hurry over and grab their friend trying to calm him as they walk him back towards the billiards table.

Ruby runs over and is standing by Emma. "Are you alright?" She asks worriedly.

Emma nods. "I'm fine. He just got handsy, that's all. I handled it."

Ruby frowns. "I'm sorry. It's my fault that we're even over there with them." She looks up to the clock and sees that it's close to midnight. "You ready to call it a night? We can head back."

Emma nods. "Yeah, I have to work tomorrow morning." But, as they are closing out their tab with Regina, the same man comes back up to where they are standing.

"I hope that you aren't thinking about leaving now, after my friends and I have spent all night buying you drinks." He says, more to Ruby than to Emma.

Ruby laughs. "I never once asked you to buy our drinks. You did that on your own, buddy." Ruby turns back towards Regina and that's when the man grabs Ruby's arm and tries to turn her back towards him.

"Hey, let go of her!" Emma yells.

"I'm not talking to you, Blondie."

Emma does not get a chance to retort because Regina beats her to it. "You will unhand her, Sir." Regina says sternly. "Not only that, but you and your friends will close out your bar tabs, and you will leave my bar. I have had just about enough of your name-calling and brutish behavior."

"Your bar?" He scoffs at Regina and asks incredulously.

Regina does not feel the need to justify her previous statement but she does add, "Also, whatever these ladies have had tonight is on me so you and your friends shouldn't worry about not getting your money's worth of a good time." The man tries to argue but Regina puts up her hand stopping him. "You have about five seconds to walk away before I throw all of you out."

He opens his mouth to speak again but closes it before shaking his head and turning around to walk back to his friends.

Regina is still glaring in his direction making sure he makes it back to his table. Without so much as a glance at Emma or Ruby she turns towards the register. Then she calls Killian over and tells him that he will take their bills over to them once she has closed them all out.

Ruby and Emma watch quietly as Regina closes out all the tabs. Ruby, still shocked, turns to Emma and whispers. "Man, that was so fucking hot."

Emma, her eyes still wide with disbelief as well, just nods and takes another sip of her drink.


	17. Seventeen - Best Friends And Pancakes

***Author's Notes: I have a confession. If you haven't noticed already, this has really been my first attempt at writing anything that isn't a research paper and I really love it. I am actually a bit saddened by the fact that I am only one chapter away from completing it because I am so invested in the story. Right now, I have a total of 23 chapters finished and ready for posting so I thought that I may as well just get them out there. So, here is another chapter that's filled with some of that boring stuff that has to happen in between my favorite scenes of our two leading ladies. Enjoy!***

Emma wakes up the next morning to the sound of Whitney Houston and the scent of coffee and bacon coming from her kitchen. She pulls herself out of bed and walks into the main room to find her best friend in the kitchen using the whisk handle as a microphone as she belts out the chorus to I Will Always Love You. Emma smiles at the sight because it is something that she loves and truly misses.

Ruby does not notice Emma right away but when she does, she turns the music down and gestures for her to get closer. "Good morning, my darling. I'm making you breakfast and it's your favorite." Ruby winks.

Emma shakes her head and chuckles at her friend. "What the hell are you doing up so early?"

"I just told you that I'm making you breakfast." Ruby lifts the mixing bowl so that Emma can see the contents. "See? Chocolate chip pancakes."

"I can see that." Then Emma squints her eyes at her friend. "But, what are you really up to?"

Ruby sighs and and puts the bowl back down on to the counter. "When we left the bar last night, you were in such a weird mood. Then when we got back here, you went straight to bed. I know that something is bothering you and I just wanted to make you feel better, that's all."

Emma manages a small smile. "I'm alright. I just hate that we were the cause of bar drama for Regina last night. She barely said anything to me after those guys left. She's probably upset with me."

Ruby thinks about this for a moment. Before they left the bar last night, she discreetly exchanged phone numbers with Killian in case they needed to get in contact with each other regarding their conversation a few days earlier. She thinks that she will probably have to send him a text message later because she is suddenly very curious to hear what his thoughts are concerning Regina's reaction from last night. Ruby shrugs. "Well, you can always just clear that up with her when you see her again. Or, you can always call her and invite her over and talk it out."

"She gave me the week off, Rubes. She'll be working all week so I doubt she 'll have time to come over. And there isn't anything to talk out."

Ruby shrugs. "Well, you won't know unless you ask."

Emma fills a mug with coffee and leans against the counter as she takes a cautious sip, careful not to burn her mouth. "I guess I could just text her." She sighs again. "Why do I feel like every time I take one step in the right direction with her, I get forced two steps back?"

"Oh, Em. I really think that you're overthinking this."

"Maybe, but I can't shake this feeling."

"Well, I think that I may have mentioned already that I'm making chocolate chip pancakes." Ruby says. "And there is nothing in the world that can't be fixed with bacon and pancakes." She nudges Emma playfully. " And you know that I'm right. So, let's eat while we brainstorm, shall we?"

Emma smiles. "Alright. Put Whitney back on and let me help with breakfast."

* * *

Regina has spent all of the night and most of her day trying to get the image of Emma and that red dress she had on out of her head. All morning, she has been replaying bits and pieces of the previous evening. One image in particular lingers and it is the one of Emma leaning over the billiards table when trying to make what looked to be a difficult shot, while all the men they were playing with , as well as all the ones that were clear across the room, were staring her.

Regina remembers how satisfying it was to hear Emma tell the one man to keep his hands to himself, and admittedly, it made her blood boil to see him put his arm around her. She is still quite upset at herself for not being able to control her emotions better but she had had enough of his rude attitude towards Emma and Ruby. Embarrassed and very much flustered after the whole ordeal, she kept to herself the rest of the evening. It was not until after Emma and Ruby left to go home that she finally felt her nerves start to relax.

Killian notices that Regina is lost in thought and nudges her on the shoulder. "Hey." He says softly. "Where has your mind been all day? You seem preoccupied with something."

"I'm just tired, I think." Regina replies quietly.

"Are you sure that is all it is? You can tell me if there is something bothering you." Killian asks again, trying to push for a more truthful answer.

"Killian, I am fine." Regina answers with a convincing smile.

Killian just nods and returns her smile.. He thinks back to Regina's reaction to the group of men the night before. He hardly ever sees her lose her temper, especially with customers, but last night, there was a fire in her that he can only assume was sparked by the man's words and actions towards Emma. He considers asking her about it once more and comes to the conclusion that it would not do him any good to pressure Regina into talking to him. So, instead, he changes the subject. "Oh, I forgot to tell you that I got a text from Robin last night. I think that he and Marian has some free time this week and are going to stop in to see us. They just wanted to know when would be best."

Regina perks up at the mention of their friends. "Oh? That would be nice. It has been a few months since they've had any time. Are they not going to have Roland?"

"Yeah, I think that he said that Roland is spending the week with Marian's mum and dad." Killian laughs. "Rob sounded ecstatic about it all."

Regina laughs at that thought. "Tell them to that they should swing by this afternoon if they can. It shouldn't be busy so it'll give us more time to chat."

"Sure. I'll let them know." Killian reaches for his phone and sees that he has a text message from Ruby. He types out a message and sends it to Robin before he reads the new one in his inbox. He simply replies to Ruby's message by telling her that she should try to talk Emma into coming by the bar after they have lunch and once that is sent as well, he smiles proudly to himself. When he looks up, he sees Regina staring at him curiously with one of her brows raised. "What?"

"I don't know. You look awfully giddy about something over there. Is there something that I'm missing?" Regina asks.

"I'm just really stoked that we'll get to see them, that's all. It's been too long." Killian says which is mostly the truth.

Regina is not completely convinced that is why he is suddenly very cheery, but she lets it go. "I'm very excited to see them, too." Then she thinks about everything that has happened since the last real conversation she had with her best friend and wonders where to even begin when Marian inevitably asks her for an update on recent events.

* * *

"I still can't believe that woman had the audacity to come in here asking you for closure. What a narcissist!" Robin states incredulously.

Regina does not say anything but looks sadly at Robin and Marian and shrugs. She learned rather quickly that Killian has already told Robin about Danielle coming into the bar to see her. When they arrived, Marian rushed over to hug her without revealing much of a motive but it took Robin only one beer before he brought it up.

"Regina, you're really just way too nice. You should have told her to leave." Marian says with a frown. "What she did to you and Killian is unforgivable."

Regina sighs because she suddenly remembers how much she really hates talking about this particular subject. "What they both did was horrible, yes." Regina tries to emphasize again that it was not just Danielle that hurt her and Killian. "But, I will need to forgive her eventually, or I will never be able to move on. And it was fine. I mean, I never expected to see her again but I've always wondered how I would react if I did. I thought that I would be more sad or feel more heartbroken but that wasn't the case at all. If anything, seeing her again made me realize that I may have actually begun to get over it." She pauses because it sounds so strange saying it aloud but she continues. "Get over her."

"That may be so, but personally, I think that she really should have just stayed away from here. She obviously shows no remorse. I'm surprised she didn't bring Elle in here with her just so she could rub salt in both of your wounds." Robin says as he takes another drink of his beer.

Marian shakes her head and smacks her husband on the arm for sounding so insensitive. Then she changes the subject. "So, anyway you two, how's the new help working out?" She turns towards Regina.

"Killian says that you've hired someone to help out. Does this mean that you're working less and might actually have time to stop by to see your godson some time?"

Regina is about to answer when the front door opens. She looks up to see Emma and Ruby walking in. Her eyes meet Emma's and the blonde smiles shyly with a quick wave. "Speaking of the new help…"

Both Marian and Robin turn around and they both recognize Emma right away. "Hey! I know you." Robin says with a wide smile. "Killy couldn't talk you into a singing a duet with him but he talked you into working here?"

Emma laughs. "Hey, it's good to see you two again. It's been a while. And Killian was pretty convincing but you and I both know that I'm here because of Regina." She realizes the implication of her statement and adds quickly to clarify. "She got me addicted to her burgers." Then she turns to Ruby. "Which you still need to try before you leave. Anyway guys, this is my friend Ruby. She's visiting from New York. Rubes, this is Rob and Marian. They are good friends of Killian and Regina."

"It's nice to meet you." Ruby waves and smiles politely.

As everyone is getting acquainted, Killian shakes his head and laughs. "Emma, it's so strange to see you wearing something so casual after last night. The contrast is like night and day."

"Yeah, well, I hope that you have that image of me from last night burned into your brain because it is not likely that you'll see it ever again." Emma says with a grin.

Regina thinks about Emma's statement and smiles as she tries to hide the fact that she has not been able to stop thinking about Emma since the night before and she is sure that she will not forget that image of her any time soon.

Emma looks over at Regina and notices that she looks uncomfortable with the subject. She thinks that now is as good a time as ever to apologize. "Regina, speaking of last night, I'm so sorry about everything that happened. It's been bothering me all morning. Ruby and I didn't mean for it to get so out of hand."

Regina is genuinely dumbfounded by the apology. "Emma, you don't have anything to apologize for. I'm sorry that those goons made the situation so uncomfortable for you two when you were just trying to have a good time. I would have thrown them out sooner but I really wanted to watch you and Ruby kick their asses at pool." Regina is smiling now trying to reassure Emma that there are no ill feelings whatsoever.

Now it is Ruby who is laughing. "Those guys were so distracted by Emma's dress, it was the easiest win ever." Then she turns her attention to Emma. "I'm almost positive they staged most of their shots just so that they could watch you bend over."

"Oh please! With or without the dress, I would have kicked their butts." Emma says defensively.

Then, Killian is laughing again. "You without the dress on would have been very interesting to watch."

Emma looks to see that everyone else is grinning or holding back their laughter. "Killian, you're an ass. You know what I meant!"

Regina speaks up. "Alright, Killian, stop giving Emma such a hard time. And Emma, I'm going to have to agree with Ruby. Those men were far from the chivalrous type and you were certainly very distracting in that dress." Regina makes sure to look Emma in the eyes with her last comment and smiles at her.

Neither Emma or Regina notice it, but everyone else in the room is looking between the two of them waiting to see what would unfold.

Emma feels her face turn red and immediately looks down at her feet mumbling something that no one hears. When she looks up again, Regina has already looked away.

After a moment, Robin clears his throat awkwardly and speaks up. "Well, this dress that everyone keeps talking about must have really been something but what I'm mostly concerned about is your pool game that you seem to be boasting about. I am very interested in challenging you to a game of pool, Miss."

"Oh, great! That sounds wonderful." Marian adds happily. "You go and play so that Regina and I can catch up over here." She says to her husband before grabbing Regina by the arm and pulling her over to where the sofa is.

Emma nods. "Alright, but you've been warned. I'm pretty good at it."

Robin gets up off of the bar stool and walks with Emma towards the billiards table. "We'll just have to see about that…"

Ruby looks to Killian smirking and then shrugs before sitting down in front of him. "Looks like it's just you and me, Stud." Then she winks at him. "Let's chat."

From the sofa, Marian looks over to see her husband and Emma chatting while she is racking the pool balls and she knows without looking behind her that Killian is keeping Emma's friend company at the bar. She finally focuses her attention on Regina. She takes Regina's hands into her own and speaks, trying to keep her voice low. "Hey, so how are you, really?"

"I'm good, Mare." Regina says with a sad smile. "Honestly, it was hard. I was such a mess afterwards. I didn't think that I would be able to make it through the night, but…" She trails off.

"But?" Marian asks.

Regina thinks about how to say this to her friend without hurting her feelings in any way. "But Emma actually helped to talk me off the ledge somehow, I suppose. She came back here after I told her to leave me alone and she just refused to leave. Talking to her about everything helped a lot. I mean, not that it didn't help when I talked to you or Rob about it...I just felt that Emma was more objective about the whole thing." Regina says as she squeezes Marian's hand.

"I understand. I'm glad that someone was here for you. I know that with the baby, I don't ever have as much time for you as I would like." Marian says reassuringly.

"I don't want you to feel like you're not here for me because you have always been my rock." Regina says.

Marian nods. Then she looks over towards Emma and Rob again and back at Regina. "So... Emma is really pretty."

This surprises Regina. "Uh, yes. Sure, she is." She says trying to sound as composed as she can. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Marian chuckles. "I was watching you when you were commenting on her dress earlier. I think that I've seen that look before."

Regina shakes her head. "It isn't like that. Emma has been a good friend to me. I wouldn't-"

"Hey, I was just going to say that it's nice to see that you are even noticing that other pretty women exists outside of Dani Price." Marian laughs but gets serious quickly after. "I know that it will take some time but you have to allow yourself to love again, Regina. You deserve to be happy."

Regina sighs.

"And, before you start arguing with me, I would just like to add, whatever it was that I saw in your eyes earlier, I'm pretty positive was in Emma's eyes, too. I can see that she completely adores you."

Regina looks over at the billiards table to see Emma smiling smugly as she watches Robin take a shot. Emma catches Regina looking and sticks her tongue out at her which makes Regina shake her head and smile back in return.

"Mmhmm." Marian hums. "That's exactly the look that I was just talking about."

Regina is still smiling but shakes her head again, this time with less conviction. "I don't think that I'm ready for anything new. The idea of it is always nice, but I think that I may have too much baggage at the moment."

"Oh, Honey. This may sound harsh considering your previous situation, but please know that it comes from a good place. It's not like we are talking about a marriage proposal here. Just get to know each other better and see where it goes, you know?"

Regina nods. "I know what you mean. It's just easier said than done, that's all. I'm still trying to do what you told me all those months ago, just take it one day at a time."

Marian smiles and wraps one arm around Regina in a hug. "That's great to hear. Because more than anything, I just want you to be happy." They both look up suddenly when they hear Robin groan in frustration followed by a string of curse words. "It sounds like Emma has bested my husband on the pool table. We should probably go over there and try to help mend his shattered ego." Marian says as she chuckles. She stands up and reaches for Regina to take her hand and she does. She pulls Regina up and they walk hand in hand back up towards the bar.


	18. Eighteen - Wonderful Tonight

***Author's Notes: I finished writing this story last night. So, it's all ready to go. Not including this one, there are six other chapters that I will need to post and my goal is to get them all up by Christmas. SPOILER ALERT: This chapter is one of my favorites and it along with every other chapter after this one is really going to pull at your heartstrings. Sorry, not really sorry? Please continue to leave me your thoughts because you all have been really great at motivating me to keep this story going and I really, really appreciate it. Enjoy!***

Regina is finishing up her makeup when she hears a knock at her door. She looks over at the clock and sees that Emma is half an hour early. As she checks her appearance once again in the mirror in front of her she thinks about how her outings with Emma have been becoming more frequent lately. After that day with everyone in the bar, Emma invited her out a couple more times to hang out with her and Ruby. It was a nice way to get to know Emma better, especially with Ruby around to divulge some of the more intimate things that she would not learn about Emma otherwise.

On Ruby's last night in the city Regina closed the bar early so that they, Killian included, could have dinner together. Afterwards, they all ended up at Emma's where they watched a movie until almost everyone except for Ruby was too tired to keep their eyes open.

Just a few days after Ruby left to go back to the East coast, Emma asked Regina if she would accompany her out for some holiday shopping. Regina agrees knowing that if she waited until after Thanksgiving to do her own shopping, she would not have enough time to finish it all. Emma decides on a random Tuesday night and Regina is sure that she is going to use the I.O.U that she still has in her possession. But, Emma never brings it up and so she does not say a word about it either.

When Regina opens the door, Emma is standing there with a big smile on her Bay Mail

"Hey." Emma says. She looks Regina over and beams. "We're just going shopping, you know. You don't have to always look like you're getting ready to walk a runway." It has recently become quite a habit for Emma to randomly compliment Regina on her appearance. She likes to think that she does it because of how cute Regina gets when she blushes but it is mostly because she genuinely believes everything she tells the other woman.

"Uh huh." Regina says as she shakes her head and turns to hide her flushing face.

Emma chuckles and follows Regina into the apartment. "So, I know that I'm a little early but I was thinking that we could get an early start and then come back here to hang out after."

"That sounds good. Let me grab my coat and we can get going." Regina says.

Once she is bundled up and ready to brave the November chill, they walk the short distance to Regina's car so they can drive to the closest shopping area which happens to be in the middle of downtown Seattle.

"I can't believe that you didn't bring a coat. It's freezing out here." Regina says as they are walking away from the parking garage. As she walks, she pulls her coat closer and tightens the belt around it.

Emma shrugs. "Well... I don't really have one?"

Regina looks at her incredulously. "You don't own a coat?"

Emma chuckles. "I used to have this leather jacket that I loved. But, I accidentally left it at Walsh's place when I left him. It didn't seem right to go back just for that. And honestly, this isn't even that bad. I mean, compared to the cold in New York, this is really nothing."

"It's not that bad right now but it will only get colder. And more wet. I can't believe you don't own a coat." Regina reiterates a she is shaking her head.

"If I see something that catches my eye while we're shopping, I promise that I'll try it on, okay? You happy?" Emma says with a grin.

"It's your prerogative if you prefer to freeze. Do whatever you want." Regina says nonchalantly.

Emma feigns hurt. "Oh, and here I was actually thinking that you cared about my well-being. You wound me, Regina." This earns her a punch to her shoulder which makes her laugh happily.

When they are in the shopping mall, it takes them a short time to find all of the items that Emma already has on her shopping list, which consisted mostly of the gifts that she will send to her parents and Ruby. Regina purchases gifts for her parents as well and then follows Emma into a Barnes & Noble store so that she could find something for her younger brother. Regina picks out a few books for Roland and then spends the rest of her time in the music section looking through vinyl records.

Emma walks up to Regina and sees that she is browsing the section with mostly the older vocalists and bands and makes a mental note to look through her records when she gets a chance to see what she may not have in her collection yet. She gets close to Regina and whispers by her ear. "Hey, are you finding everything you need?"

Regina flinches and drops the record that she has in her hand. "Emma! You scared me!"

Emma laughs as she bends over to pick the record up off of the floor. "I didn't mean to. We're in a bookstore and I didn't want to be too loud." Emma looks down at the record that had fallen. "Oh, I love Fleetwood Mac. This is definitely one of the best albums of all time."

"I really like this one, too. I don't think that I have it anymore because the one I had was so scratched, I'm pretty sure I had to get rid of it." Regina says. Emma hands it to her but Regina just puts it back down onto the display. "Did you find a gift for your brother?"

Emma nods. "Oh, yeah. So, I'm ready to check out if you are."

"Yes, I'm ready." Regina says.

On their way out of the bookstore, Emma sees something across the way that catches her eye. "Oh! Let's go in there really quick." She says as she motions towards the clothing shop.

Regina looks closer and thinks that she knows what Emma is wanting to look at. In the window, there is a mannequin wearing a black jacket. It looks like it is something that Emma would like. She follows her into the shop and finds that she is right.

Emma walks straight to the section with the coats and finds the one that is displayed in the window. She tries it on and turns towards Regina with a smile on her face. "How's it look?"

Regina studies her for a moment. Normally, it would not be something that she would like on anyone. It does not have a particularly flattering look to it and is probably the least practical coat in the store, but on Emma, it actually looks amazing. "It looks really good on you. But is it comfortable? And warm?" Regina reaches out and touches the sleeve of the jacket to feel the thickness of the material.

"Yeah, it's actually a little bit heavier than my old one. Will you take a picture of me in it so I can send it to Ruby?" Emma asks with a smile.

Regina takes her phone out of her coat pocket and snaps a few pictures of Emma pretending to model the coat while giggling the whole time. "Okay, I think I have a few good ones." She will realize later when she looks through them again that there are actually some really great snapshots all because of Emma's infectious smile.

"Thank you." Emma says. "Do you have Ruby's number? Could you just shoot her one of those and ask her what she thinks?" She takes off the jacket and looks for a price tag. When she sees it her eyes widen. "Actually, nevermind. Geezus, who knew that vegan leather would be so expensive."

Regina opens her mouth to speak but is immediately pushed out of the store by her. "Emma-"

"I know what you are going to say and the answer is no. Now, come on, help me pick something out for Killian and then we can go home, have some wine, and be lazy for the rest of the night." Emma says hoping that Regina does not argue with her.

Regina sighs. "Fine. I do have a few things in mind that I wanted to look at for him, so we might as well do it while we're here."

They look for all of the gifts that Regina has in mind and ultimately agree on a watch that Killian's been wanting. It was the most expensive of the items they were contemplating but decided to just split the cost because they both really wanted Killian to have it.

On their way back to Regina's apartment, they stop by a grocery store so that Regina can pick up a few things to cook dinner for Emma and herself. Emma pays for groceries since Regina volunteered to cook and even though Regina tries to argue, she learns that Emma is getting better and better at getting her way and there was no point in trying to fight her.

At the apartment, Emma pours them each a glass of wine and sits down on one of the stools as she watches Regina prepare dinner. Her mind wanders to the day they had and how wonderfully perfect it was. She loves that she can be herself around Regina and she never feels the least bit anxious about it. At the beginning of their friendship, she felt as though Regina was very closed-off and withdrawn but in the last month, everything has become so comfortable. She thinks that she is probably just reading too much into it because she does tend to do that a lot, but deep down, she really wishes that this bond that they are forming would turn into something more. She smiles into her glass of wine as she takes another drink.

"What are you smiling about over there?" Regina asks with a hint of playfulness.

"Huh? Oh! Nothing, really." Emma stammers. "Just that I had a really good day today. Thank you for coming shopping with me. I really hate shopping alone."

Regina smiles wondering what it is that Emma was really thinking about that would make her so happy. She has to admit that hanging out with Emma outside of work is something that she finds herself looking forward to every time they make plans. Not that Emma is any different at work than she is now, but at the bar, Regina is still her employer which makes her feel very conflicted when it comes to her growing affection towards Emma. "Yes, it was a really good day. Thank you for inviting me."

They sit in comfortable silence for a moment longer but Emma all of a sudden remembers something she wants to do. "Um, can I put on some music?"

"Sure. You can look through my CDs and records if you'd like." Regina says. "Or, there's always Spotify or Pandora."

 _Bingo._ Emma smiles. "I've been meaning to check out your music collection anyway. I only got to skim through it that first time. You sure you don't mind?"

Regina shakes her head. "Go ahead." Then she continues seasoning the steaks that she has on her cutting board.

Emma looks through all of the vinyls and is shocked to see that Regina has a very eclectic taste in music. She has something in almost every genre and a wide selection of music that spans at least six or seven decades. Trying to pick something out for her is either going to be incredibly easy or extremely difficult. Right now, her mind is leaning towards the latter.

"Can't decide on anything?" Regina asks.

Emma turns to see that Regina is right next to her now. "Oh, well, there's just so many options." She smiles. "Which is your favorite?"

Regina shrugs. "It really depends on my mood."

"Well, what are you in the mood for right now?" Emma asks.

Without replying, Regina skims to the very back of the crate and finds the one she is looking for. She hands it to Emma. "How about this one?"

Emma looks at it and smiles. "Sure. Do you have a favorite track?"

"I love them all. Do you?"

"Actually, I do." Emma walks over to the the record player and turns it on while Regina sits down on the couch and waits. She gets everything set up and then checks again for the track that she is looking for.

When the opening chords of Eric Clapton's _Wonderful Tonight_ begins playing, Regina smiles. "Why am I not surprised that this one is your favorite?"

Emma chuckles. "Are you going to ask me why?"

"You mean, it's not because it's one of his most favored songs?" Regina teases while she waits for her answer. Regina sees that Emma closes her eyes to take in the words in the first verse. When she opens her eyes again to look at her, Regina asks, "So, tell me, why is this your favorite?"

"So, don't laugh. But, when I was younger, my dad would play the guitar for me. I would always request that he sing this one because the girl in the song is blonde and beautiful and it always made me wish that it was about me." Emma chuckles. "Did you know that he wrote this song for his true love? Doesn't it sound like he's just so enamored with her? I think that the lyrics make my heart clench every time which is the same feeling I get when I am in so in love with someone. I think that's why I love the song so much."

Regina just stares at Emma and is at a loss for words. Everything that Emma just said was so raw and honest. For whatever reason, it was the last thing she was expecting.

Emma sees Regina's reaction and she looks down and begins to wring her hands together nervously. "That was probably too heavy. Sorry, I didn't mean-"

Regina reaches over and puts her hand on top of Emma's. "No, that was really beautiful. A lot of music makes me feel that exact same way. It's so wonderful that a string of words, musical composition, and rhythm has the power to evoke so much feeling. Don't ever apologize for feeling a certain way about something that you love."

Emma's heart starts racing from the warmth of Regina's hand on hers and she barely manages a nervous smile. "Want to hear something even sillier? When I was a kid, I dreamt of my 'prince charming' singing this to me and I would not shut up about it for years. That's probably why my parents freaked the hell out when I told them I was bisexual. I guess that I was always supposed to be their little princess and princesses didn't love other princesses, ya know?" Emma scrunches her face and furrows her brow at her own words.

Regina laughs, mostly to hide her sudden excitement due to Emma's abrupt confession, but also because Emma's current expression was really darn cute. "I suppose they don't. Not in the traditional stories anyway. But I am learning that you, Emma Swan, are far from the traditional princess."

Emma squints her eyes at Regina. "I'm going to take that as a compliment, I think."

Regina laughs again just as the timer in the kitchen is going off. She gets up and walks towards the kitchen but not before replying to Emma. "That most definitely is a compliment."

Regina checks on the roasted brussel sprouts and cauliflower in the oven and turns it off once she sees that they are to her satisfaction. Then she cooks their steaks with some butter and fresh garlic on a cast iron skillet that she already has warming on the stove. The steaks do not take very long and once they are done, she plates them, adds the vegetables and walks them to the dining room table. Emma refills their wine glasses and brings Regina her glass before sitting down across from her.

Emma looks down at her plate amazed. "Holy shit, Regina. This looks so good."

"You haven't even tasted it, it could be quite horrible." Regina says playfully.

"I don't think that anything that smells this good could ever be horrible." Emma replies.

Regina just shrugs and takes a sip of her wine. "Well, you'll find out soon enough. Bon appetit."

They chat over dinner, talking mostly about how much Ruby enjoyed her vacation and how she is ready to come back for another visit. Regina asks her to elaborate some more about their life in New York and Emma is just full of fun stories to tell. They end up finishing a second bottle of wine and as Emma is clearing the table she asks, "So, I've been meaning to ask you, do you have any travel plans for Thanksgiving? Are you going home this year?"

"No, I think that I'm just staying here in Seattle. This will be Killian's and my first Thanksgiving since, well, you know…" Regina does not finish the sentence assuming that Emma knows who and what she is referring to. "So, I plan on making just enough food for Killian and I and he can fall asleep watching football out here on the couch while I fall asleep with a book in the bedroom." Regina says as she shrugs.

"Oh." Emma frowns. "Well that sounds relaxing, at least." Emma says with a smile even though she is a little disappointed that her only two friends in Seattle plan to spend a very lonely holiday together. She wonders if she should just invite herself to the party. "So...is it safe to assume that the bar is closed that day."

"Oh! Yes, it will be." Regina frowns realizing that she never asked Emma what her plans were. "Actually, what are you doing for Thanksgiving? Do you have plans? If not, I would love it if you would come over and spend it with us." Regina says hopefully.

Emma smiles widely. "I would really love that. I was actually just about to invite myself over if you didn't ask first." She says.

Regina laughs. "I'm sorry that I didn't ask sooner. I just always assume you would rather spend time doing other things. You already see Killian and I nearly everyday."

"Oh please, I could never get tired of seeing you." Emma says but then adds quickly, "Or Killian." _Good save, Swan._ "I just hope that you're the one that will be cooking and not him because you're an amazing cook."

Regina blushes. "Emma, you don't have to keep throwing compliments at me like that's the only reason that I keep you around. Although, I do really appreciate it. You're really inflating my head."

"I promise you, I don't ever say anything that I don't mean." Regina shakes her head and is about to speak when Emma laughs and finishes Regina's thought for her. "I'm ridiculous. I know." Then she winks as she continues to load the dishwasher.


	19. Nineteen - Thank You For Being A Friend

***Author's Notes: We're getting close to the holidays portion of this story and I'm not sure if this is a huge spoiler but the story is going to end on Christmas morning (I feel like I've written my very own Hallmark movie). I think that I want to post the final chapter the weekend before Christmas because that just fits the timing very well. What do you think? Let me know your thoughts!***

"Hey Mare, sorry I missed your call earlier. I am just getting out of my kickboxing class now. Is everything alright?" Regina asks, slightly worried because Marian hardly ever calls until it is well after Roland's bedtime.

"Everything is fine. But I do have something that I need to ask you…" Marian says hesitantly.

"What's up?" Regina asks still very much concerned.

"Well, you know how Robin and all of guys from the high school football team always tries to arrange a get-together before Christmas? Well, this year, it was Rob's turn to plan it and he was supposed to book out a place for the reunion. But, he totally forgot all about it." Marian explains.

"So…" Regina says urging Marian to continue.

"So, I was thinking that you might let me talk you into letting us throw a Christmas party at the bar?" Marian says shyly knowing very well that Regina dislikes the idea of reuniting with the people they went to highschool with.

"Mare, that's a horrible idea!" Regina says as she starts laughing. "I'm sure that our old high school football team would prefer some place with less lighting and more young women that they can hit on. From what I hear, most of them are still bachelors."

Marian sighs. "Rob has been calling around everywhere and everything is booked already. Believe me, if he wasn't so desperate, I wouldn't be asking you."

"So, my bar is basically a last resort then. That makes me feel so much better about the idea." Regina adds sarcastically with slight irritation in her voice.

"That's not what I'm saying, Regina, and you know it. What I meant was, I know how much you hate these things which is why I wouldn't be asking you unless we really didn't have anyone else to turn to. Excuse me for thinking that my best friend would actually want to do me this huge favor. And not to mention that I would be able to see and hang out with you rather than be stuck at another random bar as Rob's plus-one." Marian sighs when all she hears is silence on the other end of the line. "Nevermind, just forget I said-"

Regina sighs. "Mare, when does this party need to happen?"

"The sixteenth of December..." Marian says hopefully.

Regina considers this for moment before replying. "Can I think about it? I promise you that I'll really consider it and I'll let you know before the weekend is over."

"Yes! Of course. You're the best." Marian says.

"Uh huh." Regina replies as she shakes her head and smiles into the phone. Then, she changes the subject. "So, what are you guys doing for Thanksgiving tomorrow? Whose house will you all be at this year?"

Marian groans. "It's at ours. Mom and dad got here yesterday and Rob's parents get here tomorrow morning. It's been busy." Marian says.

Regina chuckles. "Wow, yeah, I can only imagine. Will you give your mom and dad my love? It seems like it's been forever since I've seen them."

"Of course, I'll tell them." Marian agrees. "But also, you should stop by if you have time to. What are you doing tomorrow anyway? You're not spending it alone, are you?"

"No, actually Killian and Emma are going to come over. I got a small turkey and I'll probably just make a few other things so that we won't be stuck with leftovers for weeks."

"Emma, too? Well, that's nice." Marian says lightheartedly.

"Mare…"

"I know, I know. You're just friends." Marian chuckles. "Just promise me that you aren't saying that just because you're really trying to convince yourself."

"Whatever. If you don't have anything else important to say or ask of me, I'm hanging up. I'm almost home." Regina says trying to get Marian off the phone because she sees Emma's car is already in the parking lot of her complex. If Marian were to ever find out that she let Emma talk her into a slumber party on Thanksgiving's Eve, her best friend would likely hound her for every detail.

"I should probably get going, anyway. I have to finish up with preparations for tomorrow. So, I'll hear from you before the weekend is over, right?"

"Yes, I promise." Regina says.

"Okay, love you. Happy Thanksgiving."

"Love you, too. And Happy Thanksgiving. Give Roland a big kiss for me!" Regina tries to add before she hears Marian hang up the phone.

Regina shakes her head and walks over to Emma's Bug. Emma is sitting inside on her phone and when Regina taps in the window, she jumps.

Emma turns the engine off and steps out of the car. "You scared the crap out of me."

Regina smiles. "Sorry. And I'm also sorry that my class ran over a bit. Have you been out here long?"

"Nah. Maybe ten minutes or so. But Ruby and I were chatting so it's fine." Emma says.

Emma gets her overnight bag from the back seat and they walk up to Regina's apartment together. Once they are inside Regina tells her to entertain herself while she jumps in the shower. Emma takes this time to change into her pajamas, which consists of a pair of shorts and tank top, and then proceeds to make herself comfortable on the couch. She turns on Regina's television and flips through the channels quickly realizing that Regina only subscribes to the local channels. Relieved that she will at least still be able to watch the Thanksgiving Day parade in the morning, she opts for Netflix instead. She enters in her username and password since Regina is not signed in and puts on a movie that she started the other night but has not had a chance to finish.

When Regina is back, she sits down on the opposite end of the couch leaning on the arm rest. She studies Emma for a second and then turns towards the television. "What are you watching?"

"Just some cheesy horror flick that is on Netflix. It's more funny than scary."

"Oooh, I hate horror films. I think that I'm just going to leave you to it." Regina says as she starts to get up.

"Noooo." Emma whines. "We can watch something else. I just started this the other night and put it back on while I was waiting for you." Emma pauses a moment before adding, "I really want you here with me." She adds her signature pout for dramatic effect.

Regina bites the inside of her cheek to keep the butterflies in her stomach at bay. She cannot seem to say no to Emma when she has that pleading look in her eyes. "Do you want to watch The Temple of Doom?" Regina asks, the question coming out quieter than she anticipates.

Emma widens her eyes and smiles brightly. "Do I? Is that even a question?"

Regina chuckles. She finds the DVD and puts it into the player before she hands Emma the remote and makes herself comfortable again.

Emma remembers that Regina keeps an extra blanket inside the ottoman so she pulls it out and wraps herself in it. She looks over and sees that Regina is staring at her. "Oh, sorry. Did you want some of this?" Emma says laughing.

Regina smiles. "No, I'm fine. I was just going to ask you if you were cold. You're barely wearing anything and it's forty degrees outside. Do you want me to turn on a heater for you?"

"Nah, my body is like a furnace when I sleep. If I wear too much clothes to bed, I always end up naked in the morning." Emma laughs nervously, a little uneasy now as she realizes that she may have said too much.

Regina feels her face get hot at Emma's comment and just hums in response before turning back towards the television.

They spend the rest of the evening watching the movie in silence. Every once in awhile, Emma would look over discreetly to check to make sure Regina was still awake and to her surprise, she stays awake through the entire film.

Emma yawns and stretches dramatically once the ending credits start rolling and when she's done, she looks over at Regina playfully and then pokes her in the arm. "Hey."

Regina turns to look at Emma who has a goofy grin on her face. "Yes?" She asks laughing at the blonde's expression.

"We actually finished a movie! You didn't fall asleep. Can I tell you how happy that makes me?" Emma says still grinning.

"You just did." Regina says with a lazy smile. "So, are you ready for bed now, Miss Swan?"

Emma scrunches her face and shakes her body feigning chills. "It always sounds so weird when you call me that." Regina just smiles and gets up as she gets ready to head towards the bedroom. Emma thinks about following her but instead decides that she should ask first. "So, should I just sleep on the couch tonight?" Emma asks timidly.

Regina turns to look at Emma and raises her eyebrow inquisitively. "If that's what you want." She shrugs.

"Well, I don't want you to think that I expect you to share your bed when I've practically forced you to let me stay over." Emma says.

"Emma, don't be silly. We've shared a bed before. Unless it made you terribly uncomfortable last time, you are more than welcome to sleep in the bedroom." Regina says as she feels her pulse start to speed up.

"No! It wasn't uncomfortable at all!" Emma states as she thinks back to the last time she woke up next to Regina. "I would prefer that if you are sure it's alright with you."

Regina returns her smile. "I'm more than sure. Now, c'mon, let's go to bed. I expect you to be fully alert when you're helping me with the cooking tomorrow." Then she turns and walks towards the bedroom.

"Wait, what? Was that a part of the plan? I have to help cook?" Emma asks as she follows.

* * *

The next morning, Emma wakes up to the smell of coffee and no sign of Regina. She panics for a moment and rolls over to grab her phone so that she can check the time. She is relieved to see that she has not missed the beginning of the parade. She gets out of bed and walks slowly into the main room to find Regina sitting with a newspaper and a cup of coffee. Regina's short hair is pulled back into a small ponytail and she has her glasses on. Emma smiles to herself thinking about how much she would love to wake up to this version of Regina every single morning. After a few more seconds of staring, she finally speaks up. "Hey, you're up early." She says, her voice still a bit hoarse from sleep.

Regina smiles. "Good morning." As it turns out, Emma was not wrong about her body being warm while she sleeps. Regina does not have any recollection of this fact from the first time they shared a bed, but maybe because it was so cold last night, she found herself shifting towards the heat that was radiating off of Emma's body all night long. At one point, she found herself right next to Emma with their bodies just inches apart, and when she woke up about half an hour ago, Emma had her arms wrapped around her stomach and she could feel the rise and fall of Emma's chest against her own back with every breath was taken. Even though it was an incredible feeling, in order to save both of them any awkwardness, she carefully maneuvered herself out of Emma's arms and forced herself out of bed. "I wanted to make sure that you didn't miss your precious parade. That's all you've been talking about for days. I was going to wake you in a little bit. Did you sleep well?"

Emma yawns. "Mhmm. Did you?"

"Very well." Regina says with a smile.

"That's good." Emma rocks back and forth awkwardly on her heels still smiling at Regina. Finally, she says, "So, I'm gonna go wash up a bit and get some coffee. Then, I fully expect us to veg and watch the Thanksgiving Day parade together. Any objections?"

Regina laughs. "Am I allowed any objections? Or are you just asking to make me feel like I have the option?"

Emma pouts. "C'mon, it's a tradition!"

Regina rolls her eyes. "Fine. Go clean up and I'll wait for you here."

They spend the morning watching the parade and Regina is genuinely astonished by how excited Emma is about the television special. She finds it quite endearing that Emma's face lights up more and more with each passing float or performance. Regina gets up intermittently during commercials to start preparing some of their meal. She had mentioned to Killian that lunch would be ready around one so she knows that she should probably put the turkey in the oven soon.

When the show has ended, Emma gets up and sees that Regina is already mostly done with the preparation of the large bird. "Aww, I thought you said that you wanted me to help."

"You looked so happy over there in front of the TV. I didn't have the heart to pull you away from it. Anyway, it's all finished. You can help me with the sides a little later, if you want." Regina says.

"Oh okay. Can I use your shower? As much as I want to stay in my pajamas all day, I don't think that it's really appropriate." Emma aks.

Regina laughs. "Yes, go ahead. You remember where the towels are?"

"Yes ma'am!" Emma says and then turns and walks off.

When she is finished with her shower, Regina takes one as well and before too long, both women are ready for the rest of the cooking.

By the time Killian is knocking on the door, both Regina and Emma are in the kitchen, Emma with flour all over her face and Regina holding her stomach while laughing hysterically. Regina walks over and opens the door. "Hey!"

"Hello!" Killian says as he leans in to give his friend a quick peck on the cheek. "I've brought some friends." He says as he holds up a bottle of bourbon in one hand and a bottle of gin in the other.

"Ha!" Regina says. "Good job! Come in. Emma is finishing up the dessert and we can eat while that is in the oven."

Killian sees Emma and chuckles. "You get into a fight with the cookies, Swan?"

Emma pouts. "Regina doesn't play fair." She looks at Regina and sticks her tongue out at the woman.

Regina laughs and shakes her head. "Let's clean up and get ready for lunch, shall we?" Regina pulls out the turkey that is warming in the oven and suddenly the whole apartment is filled with the wonderful scent of the holidays.

They decided since there is very limited space that they would just each make their individual plates in the kitchen instead of putting everything on Regina's small dining table and go back for seconds if they want. Both Killian and Emma are on their second plates when Regina opens the oven again to check on the homemade apple pie that Emma helped her with. When she sees that it is done, she turns the oven off and pulls the pie out.

Emma looks over as Regina is pulling out the pie and she is super excited to have dessert. She was so happy that Regina actually let her help make the pie and at one point when Regina was next to her showing her the best way to roll out the dough, they were so close to each other that Emma felt she was getting dizzy just taking in the scent of Regina's perfume. There really is no denying the fact that she is not only falling for Regina, but she is falling quite hard. _So much for suppressing it and keeping a low profile._ She shakes herself out of her thoughts when she realizes that Regina is talking to her. "Huh?"

"I asked if you are ready for dessert. Don't tell me that you're going to have a third plate first." Regina teases.

"Oh, no. It is all so good and I probably could eat more but I'm so ready for the pie." Emma says as she rubs her stomach.

"I would like some pie as well." Killian says with a smile. "You make the best apple pie that I've ever had in my life. But I have to say that I'm sort of worried since Emma helped with this one."

"Hey! I'll have you know that I followed all of Regina's instructions to a T." Emma says while poking Killian in his shoulder.

Regina shakes her head as she plates a slice of pie for herself. "You two are seriously like children sometimes. Now, come get your own pie."

Once they have eaten as much as they could, Emma and Killian volunteered to clean up while Regina sat in on the couch looking through text messages from friends and family that she has yet to reply to.

Killian walks over and sits down next to her. He puts a hand on her knee and squeezes it. "Hey, so, Rob called me yesterday and said that he wants me to talk to you about throwing a party at the bar for some high school friends?"

Regina groans. "Yeah. Marian called me about it last night as well."

Killian raises his brow. "Am I sensing some hesitation on your part?"

Regina sighs. "I don't know. I don't feel very festive. A Christmas party just sounds like so much work. And you know, with everything that happened last year, I just don't know if my heart will be in it."

"Heart will be in what?" Emma asks having just caught the tail end of the conversation as she sits down as well.

Emma looks to Regina but Killian answers instead. "Rob and Marian asked Regina if she would allow them to throw a Christmas party at bar for some high school friends that were on the football team with Rob. But she doesn't want to do it."

Emma frowns but she understands. Her and Walsh ended things around the holidays and this year, everything just feels so strange and new. "So, I get why you don't want to do it but I think that you should anyway. If you think about it, you can really turn it into a party for all the people close to you. We can tell some of the regulars that come into the bar, you can invite neighbors and friends. It doesn't have to be exclusively for a high school reunion. Because that would be lame."

Regina smiles. "I suppose that wouldn't be so bad. I mean, if we opened it up more." She turns back to Killian. "Do you think that Rob and Marian would be alright with that?"

Killian shrugs. "I don't see why they wouldn't. A party is a party and beggars can't be choosers." He laughs.

Regina sighs. "Fine. I guess that I'll call Marian and let her know that it's a yes from me." She gets up and walks to the bedroom to make the phone call before she changes her mind.

Killian looks at Emma and winks. "Thanks, Swan. I should have known that you'd be able to talk her into it."

"Whatever. I didn't do much. I was just being honest."

"Ah, quite the contrary. You did it all." Killian says. "Now, if only you can convince her to actually put up some holiday decorations as well…"


	20. Twenty- What Happens Under The Mistletoe

***Author's Notes: I have a feeling that you may be upset with me after you read this one, but I still really hope that you like it and continue to stay with me until the end of the story. I can't say much without giving anything away, so please enjoy and leave me a comment with your thoughts!***

Emma walks up to the front door of the bar and can already hear the party going on inside. She steps in and is surprised to see that the place is decorated very festively. There are lights and tinsel hanging from the rafters, the top of the bar, around the doorways , and there are sprigs of holly and mistletoe hanging randomly throughout the entire dining area as well.. She thinks to herself that she should probably avoid those particular spots just so she is not caught in any uncomfortable situations with any of strangers or bar regulars.

Emma sees that Killian is behind the bar doing what he does best, chatting with some of the party guests while pouring out two martinis. She looks around for Regina but does not see her anywhere. When she walks towards the bar, she is suddenly spotted by Marian.

"Emma! We were wondering when you were going to show up." Marian calls out to her. "Robin is in the kitchen helping Regina with the appetizers but he's been waiting for you to get here so he can redeem himself on the pool table."

Emma chuckles before replying, "He really just needs to just let that go because I'm just going to beat him again." Emma says with a cheeky grin. "And this place looks great by the way. How'd you ever talk Regina into all these decorations?"

"It was more difficult than we thought it would be, that's for sure. But thank goodness she has a soft spot for the boys. Once Killian and Robin started batting those eyelashes, she couldn't resist. Oh! And Killian told me that you helped him to convince Regina to let us throw the party. Thank you so much for that."

Emma laughs. "You're so right about that soft spot she has for the guys so I don't think that I was the one that really convinced her in the end." Emma adds with a smile.

Marian laughs because of how clueless Emma is when it comes to Regina's affections for her. Even though she wants to hint at it, she decides against it and instead slips her arm into Emma's. "C'mon, let me introduce you to some of our other friends from high school."

Emma agrees happily and walks around the bar with Marian as she introduces her to all of their friends from high school that are at the party. She finds it funny that almost everyone she talks to about Regina tells her they never would have imagined that Regina would be the owner of a bar. They all, including Robin and Marian, had expected Regina to go into law like she had always talked about as a teenager, and some even said that back then they might have pegged her as some that would eventually go into politics. They share stories of the Regina they knew in high school and laugh about how she always spent all of her time to studying and rarely to hanging out and having a good time.

Emma smiles as she tries to imagine Regina as this other person that everyone is painting her to be but she just seems to fall short. She admits she really likes the version of Regina that she knows now and just cannot imagine her to be anyone different.

The thought of Regina makes Emma look around again for her and she still does not see the other woman anywhere. She does however see Janie and Joe at a table by themselves so she excuses herself from Marian and the group so she can walk in their direction to say hi. "Hey there, you two." Emma says before she even reaches the table.

"Emma!" Janie exclaims as she leans over to give Emma a hug.

"How are you, Sport?" Joe asks.

"Oh, you know, just living the dream." Emma smiles at the couple.

They chat about the condo and then about what they have been up to lately. They tell Emma that they recently took a cruise to Alaska and shows her some pictures that they took on Joe's phone. They talk for a while but when Emma's phone rings, she excuses herself so that she can take the call outside. She glances down at her phone once she is walking towards the door to see that it is her mom calling.

She answers the call with as much cheer as she can muster. "Hey, Ma."

"Hi Emma! It's not Momma. It's Neal."

Emma chuckles. "Hey Squirt. What are you doing with Mom's phone?"

Emma can hear her parents in the background when Neal answers her. "Momma wants you to come home for Christmas and she told me to ask you..."

Emma rolls her eyes. Before Neal can finish what he was saying, she hears her mother's voice on the other end of the line. "Emma?"

"Hi, Ma. What are you guys doing up so late? It is like nearly 11pm over there." Emma asks.

"We just got back from a movie with your brother. Believe me, he is going to march himself to his bedroom right now to get ready for bed." Emma can hear Neal whining in the background followed by her father's stern voice telling him to 'move it'. Then she hears her mother clear her throat. "Emma, Sweetie, will you be coming home for Christmas? We were thinking that since you probably don't have anyone to spend it with in Seattle that you could make a trip back East."

Emma groans softly to herself. "I have to work, Ma. And I do have people to spend Christmas with. I mean, I do actually have friends here. And Christmas is in like nine days. Even if I decide to now, it's too late to make a trip out. The plane tickets will be so expensive."

"Well, I just thought I'd ask…" She says quietly.

Emma hates that her parents can always make her feel guilty for not visiting when they want her to. Everything is always on their schedule and on their terms and it seems as though they could not care less about what she may or may not have planned already.

In all honesty though, she has not really been home in four years. The last time she saw her family, they had visited Emma in New York for Neal's ninth birthday. She sighs, "How about I make a trip back in a couple of months for Dad's birthday? I can plan ahead and make sure that I have the time off."

Her mother perks up at this, "Oh, Sweetie! Your father and I would love that. We just miss you so very much." Then Emma hears her mom speaking to her father, "Honey, Emma says that she will come home for your birthday instead. Emma, your father wants to speak with you so I'm going to give him the phone now. I love you."

"Love you-."

But before she can finish her reply, her dad is on the line. "Hey, Kiddo. How's the West coast treatin' ya?"

Her father's voice makes her smile. "Hey Dad. Everything is good. How is everything going back there? Is Ma driving you crazy or what?" Emma has always been a Daddy's girl and hearing his voice makes her realize that she does actually miss him a lot.

"Oh, you know. Hangin' in there." He says.

Emma laughs. "She's still standing right there, isn't she?"

That makes him laugh as well. "I miss you, Emma. You know, we understand if you can't make it home. I know that you have other things going on. You know that I don't ask for much, I just want you happy and healthy."

"I know, Dad. I'm gonna try for March though. I promise." Emma assures him.

"Alright then, we're gonna go hit the hay. Call us if there is anything that you need. We love you." He says.

"Okay. Love you, too, Daddy." Emma says as she smiles into the phone.

She ends the call and shakes her head as she tries to gather her thoughts. Her relationship with her parents has definitely been rocky since she came out to them as bisexual when she was in high school. Her mother was very upset for a very long time. And her father just never brought it up again. While Emma does not blame her mom at all for her reaction, she still wishes that everything happened differently. In the end, all the tension only made it easier for her to move out of the house when she did.

When she first started dating Walsh, her mom was ecstatic. And when she left him, she once again felt like she was going to be such a disappointment to them. She remembers not being able to be upfront about the breakup for a long time because she was worried that they would be angry. Instead, her parents told her that they supported her decision and that they just wanted her to be happy. Her dad has since been sending er random text messages asking if she has been dating anyone new, if she had a girlfriend or boyfriend, basically fishing for any details that he could get. He has even mentioned once or twice that he is ready to be a grandad. She smiles at that thought and then goes back inside to enjoy the rest of the party.

The party seems to still be going full force. She heads to the restroom first and when she is finished, she goes behind the bar and pours herself a drink. Emma is sipping on it when realizes that she has been at the party for nearly an hour now and she has still not even seen or talked to Regina. She wonders if Regina is finally done doing whatever she was doing and scans the room once again looking for her.

Emma finally finds Regina standing over by the rest of the group. Her and Killian are both laughing while listening to one of Robin and Marian's stories and everyone looks like they are having a great time. She downs the rest of her bourbon and soda and walks in their direction. Robin is first to see her approaching them and waves her over.

Regina is still talking with Marian when Emma makes her way over to the group. Marian mentioned that Emma had made it to the party and so Regina has been looking for her since she rejoined the party and was not able to spot her anywhere. When she finally catches a glimpse of Emma in her slacks and a dress shirt she immediately feels very warm.

Emma jokes with Robin for a couple minutes about the pool game rematch that needs to happen and then he and Killian go off on a tangent about soccer and the recent matches that they watched on television earlier in the week. Emma can see Regina from the corner of her eye and notices that the woman is wearing a short, cocktail dress with thigh-high black boots. She does not want to get caught staring so she turns back towards the guys as she listens to them jabber on about sports.

When someone from across the room is calling for Marian, Emma watches as she excuses herself and leaves Regina's side, walking towards the other group of people.

Emma takes this opportunity to move awkwardly to the spot next to Regina. She lightly elbows Regina from the side while wearing a huge grin on her face, "Hey there, stranger. Do you come here often?"

Regina chuckles. She really loves the way that Emma makes her smile so easily and thinks about how strange it is that just four months ago, they were complete strangers. This feeling that she gets around Emma is honestly really starting to scare her because at times, it feels all too familiar. "You are recycling all of Killian's horrible pickup lines and I should be the first to tell you that they have a very low approval rating."

"I hate to disappoint you but you definitely aren't the first to tell me that." Emma says as she chuckles. It also makes Regina laugh which Emma realizes is one of her most favorite sounds. They stand there in a comfortable silence, looking out into the crowd of people when Emma clears her throat and speaks up again. "It's really a great party. You guys did an amazing job getting everything set up. Do you feel any better about letting them talk you into throwing a holiday shindig or do you still feel that you'll regret it later?"

Suddenly, they both hear a loud thud and look to see that a few books had fallen off of a side table over just a few feet away from them. Regina walks over so that she can pick them up and Emma follows her. She returns them back to her bookcase before replying to Emma. "Hmm...I think that you will need to ask me again tomorrow morning when I'm back in here cleaning all of this up."

Emma finds that she has been looking for excuses to be around Regina whenever she can so this really sounds like another perfectly good way for them to hang out. "Aww well, I can come help you with that in the morning. I don't have anything going on tomorrow." She says.

Regina nods and cannot help smiling. Thinking back to her previous thoughts about Emma, she feels that a lot of the time now, she does not know how to act properly around the other woman. Her heart races and she always feels so nervous. Since they started spending more time together, Emma is constantly on her mind and no matter how hard she tries to push any romantic feelings aside, Emma always seems to say or do something that makes her feel so conflicted. "I guess that would be nice if you have the time. Also assuming that you are able to get up before noon tomorrow after tonight," she teases.

Emma is quick to respond. "Well, I can always just sleep over at your place and then I'll know for sure that I'll get up when you do?"

Regina cannot think of an appropriate response to Emma's suggestion and just the thought of sharing a bed again really starts to make her face heat up, so she takes a sip of her drink before Emma notices her blushing. After her drink, she says, "You are getting really good at inviting yourself over for sleepovers."

Emma smiles proudly. "I really am, huh?" Then she laughs.

Regina just smiles and shakes her head. Out of nowhere, Killian and Robin are right next to them again. Robin calls out urgently to Marian and waves her over. She is quick to make it to her husband's side, however, she is just as bewildered as Emma and Regina seem to be at the moment.

"Is everything alright?" Marian asks with a look of confusion on her face.

"Oh yes, everything is splendid, Darling. Killian and I just wanted you to be here when we pointed out to our two favorite ladies that they are currently standing underneath the mistletoe." He smiles at the two excitedly.

Both Regina and Emma look up at the same time and see that it is true. That they are in fact, standing directly under the mistletoe.

Emma curses internally because she had already noted all the areas she was supposed to avoid tonight. It must have slipped her mind while she was talking to Regina.

Regina tries to walk away but Killian holds her in place, "Oh, don't you dare try to leave. You two owe us a good snog."

Robin and Marian are looking at Regina as well, waiting and ready to see what transpires.

Killian wraps his arms around Regina's shoulders and squeezes her. "I've been waiting all night for someone to get caught under the mistletoe, but I was hoping it would be you and I, Love." He says as he winks at her playfully.

This earns him a harsh elbow into his side which makes him fall backwards laughing. Regina rolls her eyes and observes that he is probably already drunk. He is more talkative than usual and maybe a bit less reserved. She hopes that it does not get him into trouble tonight.

Emma looks up at the mistletoe again and thinks that Regina will have to be the one to get them out of this situation because she does not think that she can or even wants to walk away right now.

Regina considers her options but highly doubts that any of their friends will let her and Emma off without a fight, and if she is to be completely honest with herself, she does not really want to walk away from a chance to kiss Emma. So instead, she takes a step closer to and looks into Emma's eyes silently pleading for permission.

Emma wants to say something but she cannot form any words. They are standing really close to each other now and the scent of Regina's perfume is making it hard for her to focus. Emma finds herself completely mesmerized by the stunning woman standing in front of her.

Regina is still looking into Emma's eyes and even after a few more long seconds, neither of them move or say a word. When Emma does not show any sort of resistance, Regina leans in and presses her lips to Emma's. Her only thought in that moment is how soft and warm Emma's lips are. Then when her mind clears, she realizes right away that Emma is not kissing her back. It takes all of her willpower to pull away from the kiss but she eventually forces herself to. Her ears are ringing with the sound of her own heartbeat and the muffled sounds of everyone cheering. She looks around to see that Rob is clapping, Killian is hooting and hollering, and Marian has the most satisfied smile on her face. But, when she finally finds the courage to look over at the Emma, the blonde just looks like a deer caught in headlights. Regina blinks a few times before clearing her throat, trying hard to push away the embarrassment and hurt that she is now feeling. "I should probably go and make sure these people haven't completely cleaned me out of food and alcohol. I'll be back." She smiles hiding the pain she feels in her chest and then backs away and walks over towards the bar.

Emma turns her head to watch Regina walk away. She touches her fingers to her lips and that's when Killian puts his arm her in the shoulder and giving her a couple of pats of approval. "Damn good job, Swan. The must have been really something, right?"

Emma is still dazed and distracted but she nods. Regina just kissed her but unfortunately, it was the quickest few seconds of her life. And before she could react to it, it was over. Emma can still feel her own heart racing like it is about to jump out of her chest and her mind is racing with a million thoughts. _Why did Regina just walk away like that? Was she upset because she realized that she didn't want to kiss to me at all?_ Suddenly, the feeling of impending heartache hits Emma so quickly that she shakes herself out of her musings and rush towards the door and running out of the bar without saying anything to anyone. The brisk air hits her as soon as she is outside and it helps to clear her head immediately. She takes a few deep breaths and when her pulse slows down, she suppresses everything that she is feeling in the moment and jogs her way back home.

Regina shuts her office door and stands with her back against it. She brings her hands up to her face hoping that it will help to suppress the tears that are already stinging her eyes. She takes a couple of deep breaths before she starts berating herself. _Regina, why did you do that. How could you be so stupid?_ She closes her eyes and all she can see is the look of horror on Emma's face which just makes her heart hurt more. _How are you going to face Emma after doing that to her?_ "God, Regina. You're such an idiot." She says aloud to herself. _How are you going to fix this?_

Regina gives herself another ten minutes and probably close to another dozen pep talks before she walks back into the party. She looks around for Emma so that she could apologize but the blonde is nowhere to be seen. She sees that Robin and Killian are now by the pool table and walk over to where they are. "Hey guys, where's Emma?"

"Huh…" Killian says as he looks around the bar. "Actually, I don't know where she went off to."

Regina hides her disappointment and goes back behind the bar. She anxiously waits for another half hour or so just in case Emma was in the restroom or decided to step out for a second but when Regina sees no sign of the other woman she pulls out her phone and types out a text message to the blonde.

 _Hey, Emma. Are you alright? Did you leave?_

The reply comes rather quickly.

 _Oh yeah, sorry. I had to take a phone call and then I just thought that I would just call it a night._

Regina frowns and types out another message.

 _Oh, okay. Thank you for stopping by tonight. I'm really glad that you did and I hope that you had a good time._

Regina waits for another reply from Emma but she never receives one. She spends the rest of the night chatting with friends and playing pool with the guys but the whole time, the only thing she could think about is Emma and their kiss. When the party is finally over, she makes sure that Killian calls a cab while she helps Marian get a very tipsy Robin into their car. After that, she clears up as many dirty glasses and as much trash as she can, turns out all of the lights, and locks up the bar.

When she gets home, she thinks about how Emma had offered to help her clean up the bar in the morning and thinks that they can probably talk about everything then. Still troubled and upset, she tries to sleep, however with her mind still filled with the events of the evening, she ends up having a very restless night.

The next morning Regina eventually drags herself out of bed at seven and makes it over to the bar hoping that her talk with Emma will make her feel better.

By the time Killian makes it in for his shift, he sees that Regina has everything cleaned up and back to the way that it was. Regina even offers to stay for most of the lunch rush since she knows that Killian is suffering from a pretty bad hangover. She spends most of the day looking towards the front door every time she hears it opening but by three in the afternoon she realizes that Emma has no plans to stop in.


	21. Twenty - One - Sleepless In Seattle

***Author's Note: HELLO again. So, I just realized as I'm doing a final run-through of this story that I may have possibly miscounted my posting dates. I really want to post the two-part finale chapters the weekend before Christmas which means that I have to post an extra one now or it'll throw off my plan. I'm sure that I won't hear very many complaints although, this chapter is a another sad one so I'm going to apologize ahead of time. I promise though that the last three chapters will be completely worth it. Leave me your thoughts!***

When Ruby gets home from work, she sees that she has a missed call and voicemail from Emma. When she checks it, she finds a very disconcerting message from her best friend. Emma sounds extremely distraught in her message and it makes Ruby feel very uneasy and worried. She quickly returns Emma's call and within seconds of answering the phone, Ruby finds that Emma is indeed very upset. Barely giving herself the time to even slow down to take a breath, Emma is regurgitating what seems to a story about Regina and the bar, but Ruby is not able to understand any of it. "Emma! Calm down, speak slowly, and start again from the beginning. Please, you're giving me whiplash with how fast you are talking right now. I am only getting every other word." She finally says.

Emma audibly takes a deep breath. "Ruby, Regina kissed me."

This stuns Ruby. "Wait, what? When was this?"

"And I'm trying to tell you, I think she regrets doing it." Emma says, her voice cracking.

"Is that what she said?" Ruby asks just because she is thoroughly confused by the fact that Regina would actually initiate a kiss but then turn around and wish that she had not.

"No, but-" Emma starts.

"Okay, Em. Hold up. What did Regina say to you, exactly?" Ruby asks.

Emma takes another deep breath. "She didn't say anything. She kissed me and then she walked away." Emma adds sadly.

"Em, why didn't you just ask her how she felt about it?" Ruby asks as she is getting more irritated with the story and her friend.

"Because I don't need her to tell me to my face how we should just be friends!" Emma responds angrily and she can feel tears start to sting her eyes so she takes a couple more deep breaths to stop herself from breaking down. "I think that I'm going to come home for a while."

"What?! Wait a minute, what are you talking about? What do you mean you're coming home?" Ruby feels herself start to get angry with Emma and her obviously horrible and emotional decision-making.

"I need to get away from here for a while. She keeps calling me and texting me, and asking me if we can talk. I'm pretty sure that I know what she wants to tell me and the thing is, I don't want to just be friends with her, Rubes. I don't even think that I can face her right now. Or ever again." Emma says.

Ruby feels her patience dwindling. "No. Em, you can't just do this shit. You are running again and it doesn't even make any sense to come all the way back here when you don't actually know how Regina feels about what happened. You might think that you do but you haven't even talked to her. And even if she just brushes it off as a one-time deal, you kinda need to know the truth before making any crazy decisions." Ruby tries reasoning with Emma even though she knows that it will more than likely not get her anywhere. She waits for Emma to reply and argue but the line goes quiet. It only takes Ruby a moment to realize that Emma is crying on the other end. "Oh, god. Em..."

"Ruby, don't." Emma says, all the sadness in her voice replaced by complete seriousness. "I don't need a pep talk right now. I just need to get over this and I need you to understand that I can't do that here. I need to just call Regina later and tell her that I need some time off." Emma says, her voice breaking in between shallow breaths.

Finally, Ruby just gives in. "Yeah, okay. Babe, come back if you really need to. You can stay with me for as long as you want. I just...you know what, nevermind all of that. You're right, I wasn't being very supportive and I'm sorry." Ruby says as she realizes that if she is to help fix this, she needs to let Emma believe that she is being as supportive as possible. "Go home and pack or do whatever you need to do and just call me when you're on the road, okay?"

"I'll probably just leave on Christmas morning I don't have to worry about too many people on the road that way." Emma says.

"Yeah, sounds good. I love you. Call me later." Ruby says.

"Love you. And hey. Thanks, Rubes. Thank you for understanding." Emma says.

Ruby sighs. "Of course."

The second Ruby ends the call with Emma, she dials Killian's number. She has not spoken to him since her last night in Seattle even though they still text each other every once in awhile. The holiday season has been so busy, she has not really thought about reaching out to him, not even for updates on her best friend. This predicament however, definitely seems worthy of a telephone call.

The phone rings for longer that she would like but Killian does finally answer. "Hello there, stranger. It's been a while, my friend." He says gleefully.

Ruby decides to skip the small talk. "Seriously, Killian. What the fuck is happening over there?" Ruby says loudly as she is trying to convey her frustration.

"Whoa. What the hell are you talking about?" Killian asks, clearly confused.

"Emma just called me and told me that Regina kissed her?" Ruby asks still stunned by the story.

Killian chuckles. "Oh, yeah. It was great. We caught them under the mistletoe."

Ruby sighs. "No, Killian. Not great."

Killian frowns. "What? What do you mean?"

"Emma is super upset. She thinks that Regina is trying to tell her that whatever happened was a huge mistake. Tell me, where would she get an idea like that?"

"I don't know! Everything seemed fine to me. Emma left the party so early, it's not like I could talk to her about it or anything. And the last couple times I've seen her, she seemed perfectly fine to me." Killian says as he thinks back to the party and the last few days of work.

"UGH. Men are so dumb sometimes! How about Regina? How does she seem?" Ruby asks.

Killian thinks about it for a second. Since the night of the Christmas party, he has noticed that Regina has been keeping to herself a lot. She has been more quiet and seems to stay in the back office more. "I think that she's alright…" He trails off because even he has doubts about it now.

"Are you sure?" Ruby groans. "You know what? You're gonna have to fix this. I'm not there right now or I would fix it myself. So, you're going to have to do it."

"What is it that I have to fix, exactly?" Killian asks.

"Killian, Emma told me earlier that she is coming back to New York." Ruby says flatly.

Killian widens his eyes in shock. "What?"

"Yes. So, please, just fix it!" Ruby reiterates.

This time, Killian agrees without hesitation. "Alright, alright. Well, I'll see Regina tomorrow afternoon. I'll talk to her then." Killian looks up and sees that people have just walked into the bar. "Hey, I have to tend to these people that just walked in. I'll text you with a progress report later."

"Okay. I'll talk to you later. I better hear from you soon." Ruby says before she ends the call and throws her phone off to the side. She lays down on her bed and lets out another frustrated groan. She really hopes that Killian can figure this out before it is too late and Emma is already on her road.

Regina has not heard from Emma for nearly a week. It is not for the lack of trying though because she has called, she has sent text messages, and yet she has not received even one reply. After Emma does not show up the morning after the party, Regina began replaying the events of the evening over and over in her head. Maybe she had misread everything. Or maybe she let Marian get her hopes too high and Emma was just not interested in her as more than just a friend. Either way, she thinks that she has really made a mess of everything.

Regina is laying on the couch with the television on but she is not paying any attention to it. No matter how hard she tries, she still cannot think of anything besides Emma. The look on Emma's face when she pulled away from the kiss, now burned into her brain, is all that she sees every time she shuts her eyes. Because of this, she has not been able to sleep through the night since the party.

She finally decides that she should at least try to lay down more comfortably so she pulls herself up and off of the couch, turns the television off, and goes into the bedroom. Then she turns out the light and gets into her bed. Even though it is not quite eight in the evening, she already feels so exhausted, so she curls herself up hugging a pillow close to her, and shuts her eyes hoping that sleep will overtake her.

Regina awakens suddenly when her cell phone starts ringing. She looks over at the clock on the bedside table to see that it is almost 10:30 pm. She reaches for her phone thinking that it is probably Killian calling but when she sees that it is actually Emma, her heart starts racing. She hesitates only a few seconds longer and answers the phone trying very hard not to sound too nervous. "Hey, Emma." She says, unable to hide the hoarseness in her tired voice.

"Oh, hey, Regina. I hope that I didn't wake you." Emma says hesitantly.

"No, I am still up." Regina lies.

"Oh, good." Emma tries to speak quickly so that Regina does not have time to interrupt her. "I know that this is a very last minute request but I think that I am going to drive back to New York for the holidays. I hate to do this to you and Killian but I am going to need a few weeks off."

Regina frowns. "You're going to drive back to New York?" She asks shakily as she tries to hide her hurt and disappointment.

"Yeah, I know that I could fly but I really liked the drive on my way over here so I just thought that it would be nice to do it again." Emma says trying to think of the best excuse for why she would choose to drive clear across the whole country.

Regina's immediately begins to wonder to herself whether Emma even plans to come back. She closes her eyes tightly trying to stop the urge to start crying. "Yes, of course. Take as long as you'll need. We'll be closed for a whole week anyway." She answers quietly.

"Great. I will probably just stop by the bar when I get back. Or I'll text or call you or something." Emma adds.

Regina takes a breath hoping that Emma will let her apologize. "Emma…"

"Oh hey, Regina, sorry but I really have to go. That's Ruby on the other line." Emma lies. "I'll text you the details when I know them. Thanks again. I'll talk to you later. Bye."

Regina pulls the phone away from her ear and looks down at the ended call that is still displaying one of the pictures of Emma in the leather jacket that she took weeks ago when they were shopping, and when it fades to black, Regina can no longer hold back her tears. She takes a deep breath and wipes away the wetness on her cheeks. Then she lays back down, pulls the covers up over her head, and once again hopes that she can fall back asleep.

Emma, who is currently sitting on the sofa at her condo, sighs before downing the rest of her glass of wine. Then she puts her glass down on the coffee table and calls Ruby to tell her what she has done.

Killian walks into the bar on Christmas Eve to find Regina sitting on top of the back counter obviously lost in thought. He realizes that she does not even notice that he has walked in until he is standing right in front of her. He lightly touches her shoulder and she finally flinches slightly. "Hey, there you are. Where were you just now?"

Regina manages a small smile. "Nowhere in particular. I was just thinking about some things." She jumps off the counter and leans up against it once again staring off.

Killian furrows his brow. He really hates to meddle but he did promise Ruby that he would help fix this. Plus, he cannot stand to see Regina this way. "Thinking about Emma?" He finally asks.

Regina turns towards Killian. She tries to speak but frowns because she genuinely does not know how to answer his question. She has been very good about not bringing up Emma's name in the last week and this just makes trying to forget about her even more difficult. "Emma? No, why would I be thinking about Emma?"

Killian bites the inside of his cheek to keep himself from saying the wrong thing. He decides that he probably should have approached her differently so he just shakes his head and turns away. "Nevermind." He says.

Regina senses that something is wrong and her frown deepens. "Killian, is everything alright?"

After a moment, Killian turns back around. He realizes that he needs to just get this over with and so he sighs and looks Regina in the eyes. "I'm so stupid, Gigi. I can tell that you've been upset about something lately and it wasn't until last night that I realized that it is about Emma. I haven't seen you two anywhere near each other in over a week when up until that party, you were pretty much inseparable. Please just tell me what is wrong. What's happened?"

Regina just stares at him, blinking thoughtfully a few times and after the last time, Killian can see her eyes start to glisten. She looks down at the ground, takes a few breaths and answers him. "I think I screwed everything up. After I kissed her at the party, she hasn't been answering any of my calls or my messages and now she...she is leaving."

"Leaving?" Killian asks trying to hide the fact that he knows this alreayd because Ruby had already mentioned it to him the night before. "What do you mean she's leaving?"

Regina looks up at Killian. "She called me last night and said she needs a few weeks off because she wants to drive back to New York for a visit."

"She's driving?" Killian asks, this time actually surprised. "New York is a long way from here."

"I shouldn't have kissed her, Killian. I misread all the signs and I've ruined everything." Regina says.

"You like her." This comes out more as a statement than a question even though Killian is still expecting Regina to either confirm or deny it.

Regina bites down on her lower lip. She considers lying about it but then again, there is really no use in that anymore so she opts for the truth, which is something she has yet to even admit to herself. "Yes." She says. Then she chuckles but there is no delight in the sound of it. "I like Emma." She sighs. "I didn't think that it was this bad. But, I think I like her a lot."

For the first time since Danielle, Killian sees a part of Regina that she has always tried to hide away. She looks afraid but also hopeful. Killian smiles sadly at her and walks over pulling her in for a hug. It takes a few seconds but he finally feels her relax into his embrace and then hug him back tightly. "You haven't ruined anything. You just need to talk to Emma. Tell her how you feel." He tells her.

Regina tilts her head up so that she can see Killian's face. "How can I do that when she won't give me a chance to. I've wanted to talk to her about everything since that night it happened. And now I won't see her for weeks and that's only if she decides to come back to Seattle." Regina lays her head back on Killian's chest trying to to think about what a mess all of this has turned out to be. "Killian, what if she doesn't come back?"

"It'll all work out. She will come back." He says even though he is unsure of it himself. They stay this way for a while until Killian finally pulls away grabbing ahold of her shoulders. "Hey, look, it's Christmas Eve and you're feeling miserable. Why don't we just close early tonight? Everyone already knows that we'll be closed for the next week. Go home and relax tonight so that you can get an early start to your parents' house in the morning. You look like you could really use a good night's rest."

Regina sighs and nods. "Maybe you're right. I do really just want to be in bed right now."

"Then that's what you should do. Go ahead and take off. I'll clean up and close down." Killian says smiling at her.

Regina hugs him again. "Thank you as always. This really means the world to me. You, really mean the world to me. You know that, right?"

"I'm just gonna tell you what you always tell me-I know that you'd do the same for me. Now, go and get your coat. That wind chill out there will get you." He says.

Regina nods and walks into the back for her coat. She thinks about how at this time just a year ago, she was having dinner at home with Danielle when her girlfriend suddenly dropped down on one knee proposing marriage. It was the happiest day of Regina's life and now, a year later, she can barely even imagine what it felt like to be that happy. For a second, she thinks about Emma again and really wishes that they could be having another movie night or sleepover. Her heart clenches so she forces herself to push all those thoughts away. She puts on her coat and hat, grabs her bag, and turns out the lights of the office.

Killian quickly walks through the bar putting up all the chairs. He checked the sales just a moment ago and it looks like throughout the morning, Regina has only had a few tables. There is probably not much to clean in back either since there were only two food orders. He wants to hurry up and finish closing because he is determined to pay Emma a visit before she packs up and leaves town.

Regina reappears into the dining area fully ready to combat the wintery weather. She walks over to Killian and smiles weakly at him. "Do you want to come over for a little bit? I have your Christmas present at home. Emma and I picked it out together and I don't know why I didn't just bring it here with me today. My mind has been so jumbled all week."

Killian smiles. "I've forgotten to bring yours also. We can always exchange gifts when you get back next week. I actually should use this time to go do some last minute shopping anyway." Killian lies just because he does not want Regina to know that he actually has other plans in mind.

Regina smiles. "Good luck with that. Most places will be closing early."

"Don't I know it." Killian says grinning. "Now, get out of here before it gets colder."

Regina hugs him again. "Merry Christmas, Killian."

Killian hugs her back tightly. "Merry Christmas. Please send my love to your mum and dad."

"Of course." Regina says smiling.

Killian watches as Regina walks down the street to where her car is parked. Then as quickly as possible, he finishes cleaning up the dining area and runs into the back to finish up cleaning the kitchen. To his surprise, he finds that Regina has already cleaned up and turned off all the cooking equipment. He takes one final look around before flipping off all the lights. He puts on his coat, locks the doors, and walks the eight minutes it takes him to get to Emma's place.


	22. Twenty-Two - Wake-Up Call

***Author's Note: I can't imagine that I will get too many complaints for this but I have to post this chapter a day early because tomorrow night I will be out at the annual Christmas party for my company. I probably won't be home until much later than I want and I have a final exam on Saturday morning. (Fun! Not really) Anyway, this is the chapter that most people have been waiting for-Emma Swan finally coming to her senses! Let me know what you think. The two-part finale will be posted next week-get excited!***

Emma considers Ruby's advice many times throughout the day but ultimately thinks that heading back to New York for a few weeks will be the best thing for her to do. She loves New Year's Eve in the Big Apple, probably more so than most people that have lived there or the ones that still do, and she really thinks the crowds of people, the noise, and the celebration will be a great distraction. At the very least, it will be the kind of distraction that she really needs to take her mind off of Regina.

Minutes ago, she received a random text message from Killian asking if she is at home. She confirms but tells him that she is going to be busy the rest of the evening just in case he has plans to come by to see her. By now, she assumes that Regina has told him already that she is taking a few weeks off. She is nearly done packing her bag when she hears a loud knock at her door. She walks to the door, looks through the peephole and groans inwardly. She does not open the door for him but instead just starts speaking through the door. "What do you want, Killian? I told you that I was going to be busy." She says to him, slightly irritated that he decides to come by even though she had tried to deflect it.

"I can't imagine what it is that you're busy with. It's not like you have a lot of things to pack. Regina told me that you are taking a few weeks off." Killian says through the door.

Emma groans. "Killian, I'm seriously asking. What do you want? I'm really tired right now and I wasn't expecting company."

He sounds frustrated and upset when he bangs on the door again. "What I really want is for you to open this bloody door!"

"I said, I'm a little busy at the moment. I want to leave for New York tomorrow morning. I'm sure that whatever it is that you want to talk about can wait until I get back."

Killian could not believe what he is hearing. "You're an idiot, Swan! A real, huge fucking idiot. Now, open this door." He requests again.

"I don't know what you're talking about but I do know whatever it is, that it can wait until I get back." Emma says as she turns away from the door and walks back towards the bedroom, determined to just ignore Killian.

Killian scoffs. "You're hilarious, Emma. You don't know what I'm talking about? Right. Well, why don't I remind you? A week ago, Regina finally lowers that damn wall she has had up since all that mess with Danielle. Then, she practically throws herself at you, and what do you do? You run. And you are literally still just running away right now."

This catches Emma's attention and she hurriedly walks back towards the door, glaring at it as if she can see through it. "She did not throw herself at me, Killian. It was just a kiss. Not to mention, it was a kiss that was provoked by the three of you fuckers. She was pressured into doing that and now I'm dealing with the repercussions of a mess you created." She argued.

Killian laughs mockingly. "This is unbelievable. Are you seriously dense? If you think for a second that anyone can make Regina Mills do anything that she doesn't want to do, you're as mad as a box of frogs. She wanted to kiss you, Emma. Probably as much as you wanted to kiss her and you can't seem to get your head out of your arse long enough to just admit that to yourself."

Emma opens her mouth to speak but then closes it again at a loss for words. It is a fact that kissing Regina has been on her mind for a very long time. And she has really liked Regina a lot for months now. But before that kiss, it has not once occurred to her that her feelings for Regina would ever be reciprocated. Since realizing her feelings, she has focused all of her energy on trying to be a good friend to the other woman. Even though it took them a while in the beginning, after months of getting to know each other, from all the furniture shopping to sharing secrets, and then to sleepovers and movie nights, she can say that they are actually really good friends. And Regina is someone that she does not want to lose.

Emma thinks about the kiss again. She not only wanted that kiss but she has been hoping for it plus so much more and regardless of how complicated everything feels right now, she knows that Killian's right. Regina actually kissed her. This is when the realization finally hits her. "Oh my god, I am such an idiot." She mumbles under her breath.

Killian hears shuffling on the other side of the door and after a moment, Emma finally opens the door to find him with a smug smirk on his face. "Aha, it finally got you in that thick head of yours just now, did it?" Killian walks past her into the condo and his tone changes to a more serious one. "You need to fix this, Emma. And you have to do it right now. Regina said that you haven't been returning any of her messages and the only time that you've talked to her since the party is when you asked for time off. She thinks she's really screwed things up between you two. You can't just let her keep thinking that. You need to go and fix it. Now."

"God...what? She didn't screw anything up. I did. I've been avoiding her because I didn't know how to face her. I didn't want her to tell me that she just wanted to be friends, Killian. Because that's not what I want. I want her."

Killian grins. "It's about time you confessed. Emma, if you want her, go and get her." He urges.

Emma feels dejected as she walks over to the sofa and sits. Then she feels angry tears start to sting her eyes. _How could she be so stupid?_ She has not only forced herself to forget about what happened but she has shut Regina out completely. _How is she ever going to win Regina over after being such a complete ass?_ "I don't know how to fix it. And I don't even know if it can be fixed. Regina probably hates me right now. I'm such an idiot."

Killian sits down next to her and pulls her close. "Hey...first of all, you need to stop all of this with the tears and shit. You know that I can't stand to see a pretty girl cry." His teasing only makes things worse and Emma is now turning her face into him and sobbing into his shoulder. His heart is breaking at the sight of it. "You know, we closed the bar early so she could go home and finish up some last minute packing. And she doesn't leave for Vancouver until tomorrow morning. You can always just go over there and talk to her. Maybe tell her how you really feel. You know, finally tell her the truth." He suggests.

"What could I possibly say to her that would make up for ignoring her for so long? She has every right to just slam the door in my face."

Killian nods. "That she does. But I'll bet you a pint that right now, hate is the last thing she is feeling when it comes to you." There is silence for a moment and all you can hear is Emma sniffling, the tears finally subsiding.

"Maybe I can just wait for her to get back. Tell her after Christmas." Emma finally says, more to herself than to Killian.

Killian shakes his head at her. "Don't tell me that you're just going to give up now. You really want to just leave it like this? On Christmas Eve?"

Emma sighs. "It's Christmas Eve," she says quietly to herself. And then she remembers that she had promised herself months ago that she would not allow Regina to spend this night alone. "FUCK." She jumps up grabbing her jacket and her keys. Then she runs into the bedroom and grabs her wallet and the gift she has had wrapped and ready for Regina. When she reappears, Killian is standing there smiling at her. She hugs him tightly and thanks him. Then she is out the door. The last thing that he hears is Emma yelling from the driveway to him. "Lock up for me on your way out!" She says.

Relieved and hopeful that he has somehow helped with this Christmas miracle, Killian texts Ruby to tell her that he has done all that he can and that it is up to Emma now.

* * *

By the time Emma makes it to Regina's front door, she is anxious and nearly out of breath. Part of that is because the closest parking spot she can find is at the bottom of a hill about a quarter of a mile away but she knows that her racing heart is more due to what she plans to say to the person on the other side of the door, than it is from her jog from the car. She composes herself and tries to calm her nerves with a little encouragement. "You can do this, Swan. Just tell her how you feel." After a minute or two, she finally just takes a deep breath and knocks on the door.

Regina has been home from the bar now for a few hours. It is only 8pm but she has taken a shower and is already changed into her flannel pajamas. A jazz record is playing as she is mindlessly folding some laundry when she hears a knock at her door. She thinks it is Julia and Will, two of her neighbors from across the landing. She has been told that they always make cookies with their children during the holidays as gifts to everyone in their building. She removes the towel that she has on her head and runs her hands through her damp curls. She walks over to the door and opens it with a smile on her face. When she sees who it is however, it changes to a look of confusion. "Emma?"

Emma manages a small, weak smile. "Hi."

They both stand there staring at one another for an awkwardly long time before Regina hears herself speak again. "Is there something that you need, Emma?" Regina's words do not come out harshly but she tries to keep it short to save herself any agony.

Emma frowns. "Uh, can I come in? There's something that I need to talk to you about."

Regina tucks some of her hair behind her ear nervously and sighs. "Emma, I'm actually getting ready to call it a night. I have a few more things that I need to pack up and I'm actually really tired. Can this wait until I see you in a couple of weeks."

Emma knows avoidance when she hears it. Primarily because she is the one that is usually using those same excuses. "Regina, I promise you that it will be quick. I just need a few minutes." _Especially if you are just going to tell me to hit the road._ Her heart clenches just thinking about the possible rejection.

Regina does not know how to respond to this. _What could Emma possibly have to say to her now? Has she been avoiding her all week so that she could figure out how she was going approach her about what happened?_ Whatever it is that Emma needs to talk to her will likely be painful for her to hear and she thinks that there is really no point in dragging it out. So, she decides that she should save Emma the trouble. "Look, Emma, if this is about what happened at the party, we don't have to talk about it. I shouldn't have put you in that position. I'm so very sorry. I'm your coworker, well, your employer really, and that was a terrible thing for me to do. I know that this may be asking for too much but can we please just forget-"

Emma cuts her off. "Wait. Do you regret it?"

Regina frowns. "What?"

Emma asks again, this time with more confidence in her tone. "Do you regret it?"

Regina sighs and moves away from the doorway. "You should probably come in so that we're not having this conversation where everyone in this building can hear it."

Emma, who is expecting rejection at this point, is not only hurt but she is somewhat angry. "You should probably answer my question first so that I don't feel like a complete idiot when I tell you what I actually came here to say."

That makes Regina is frustrated as well. "I don't know what it is you want me to say, Emma! Are you wanting to know if I regret that the kiss happened? Because I don't. Not at all. But, I do regret that because of I foolishly kissed you, I haven't been able to see or talk to you for over a week."

Emma frowns but does not reply.

Regina starts shaking her head, obviously upset. "Emma, I know that I screwed things up between us and I'm so sorry. I-"

Emma steps forward making sure that Regina can see the sincerity in her eyes. "Regina, please don't apologize to me again. You didn't screw anything up, I promise." They look at each other for a moment before Emma finally walks past Regina and into her home. She sits down on the sofa and turns to look at the other woman who is still standing by the door with a look of uncertainty and hesitation on her face. Emma pats the spot next to her. "Can you please just come sit down?"

Regina closes the door. She walks over to her record player and turns the music off before walking over and sitting down next to Emma. She tries but cannot get herself to look up at the blonde, so she focuses her eyes on her hands, which are currently in her lap, instead. When she blinks, tears begin to run down her cheeks and even though she tries, she cannot stop them. "Emma…I…"

Emma reaches over and takes both of Regina's hands in hers. "Regina, please look at me."

Regina sniffles but does not move nor reply. When Emma asks a second time and she still does not look up, Emma slowly lifts Regina's chin until they can see each other. "Hey, there you are." Emma manages a small smile as she reaches up to wipe at Regina's tear stained face. "Please don't cry." Then she grabs Regina's hands again. "I came here tonight because I really wanted to tell you that I realized how stupid I've been. I should have returned your calls and messages but instead I ignored them because I was too afraid."

Regina furrows her brow in confusion. "Afraid? What could you possibly be afraid of?"

Emma chuckles. "There are so many things. For one, I was afraid that I would lose you. I don't want to lose your friendship. I was worried that things were going to be awkward between us even though I see now that I probably did more bad than good by screening all your calls." Regina opens her mouth to say something but Emma stops her. "Please, let me finish or I won't have the courage to say everything that I want to say." Regina nods so Emma continues. She is looking down at their hands now as she laces their fingers together. Without looking up, Emma smiles sadly, then adds, "but what I was most terrified of, is that you were calling to say that you thought you had made a terrible mistake." Emma swallows the lump in her throat and continues. "That the kiss shouldn't have ever happened. And that you regretted kissing me."

Regina is speechless and when Emma finally looks up at her again, she sees so much vulnerability in her eyes. "Oh, Emma." She finally says as she pulls one of her hands away so that she can touch Emma's face. Instinctively, Emma leans into her touch. "I've wanted to kiss you so badly even before that night. And in all honesty, I've been pining for it for longer than I care to admit. And when you didn't kiss me back, I thought for sure that I had misread everything."

Emma's eyes widen. "Wait, what? What do you mean I didn't kiss you back?"

"Emma, you stood there like a mannequin! And then you left the party in such a hurry. I was so worried that I upset you. That's why I've been calling and leaving you so many messages. I just really wanted to apologize for scaring you of."

"What? I wasn't avoiding you because I didn't want to kiss you! I...well, you took me by surprise! I didn't even have time to react." Emma explains.

Regina glares, "I am positive that I stared you down before I actually leaned in for that kiss. And we were under the mistletoe with three of our friends badgering us to kiss each other. How the hell did that take you by surprise?"

Emma is laughing now and she has to admit that it feels so nice. All of this feels nice. Sitting here with Regina even when she is being snarky, or maybe especially when she is being snarky. It always seems to give her butterflies in her stomach. "Okay, so maybe I wasn't surprised by the kiss itself. I guess that I was just shocked that you actually did it. I don't think that my brain even registered any of it until after you pulled away and by the time I got any brain or lung function back, you had run away to hide in the kitchen."

"Don't you dare turn this around on me, Emma Swan! I was so embarrassed! And not to mention, hurt. But mostly, I was upset at myself. The look on your face when I pulled away from you made me think that I did something that you didn't want me to. And now you're telling me that it was because you didn't register any of it? Well, that makes me feel even more foolish than I already had before."

Regina starts to get up but Emma grabs onto her hand and pulls her back down to the sofa. Then Emma boldly puts both hands on Regina's waist holding her still so that she can pull herself closer to her. She looks into Regina's eyes pleadingly. "Hey, I'm sorry that I made you feel that way. I am such an idiot and it was never my intention to make you feel embarrassed. Or hurt. Will you please let me make it up to you?"

Regina looks at Emma and she swears that those green eyes will eventually be the death of her. She lets out the breath that she did not even know she was holding, and she barely manages to speak. "I'm not sure what it is you think that you have to make up for, Em."

Emma smirks, "Oh, there are a few things. But, for starters, I'd really like a do-over." Regina is visibly unclear with what she is saying so Emma boldly leans in and gently touches her lips to Regina's. This surprises Regina but it only takes a moment for the hesitation to pass and then she is leaning in and kissing Emma back. The kiss is slow and sweet and all Emma can think about is how soft and warm Regina's lips are. They stay that way, taking their time with light, soft kisses until Regina gradually parts her lips allowing Emma a little more access. Emma takes the cue and slips her tongue into Regina's mouth. This elicits a throaty moan and Emma learns that she will never be able to get over how much she loves the sound.

Regina pulls Emma closer as their kissing becomes more feverish. She wraps her arms around Emma's neck, tangling her fingers into the blonde's curls and at the same time, she pulls herself onto Emma's lap pushing her back against the sofa. Regina pins Emma down by the shoulders and then she pulls her body back. She swings her leg over Emma's lap so that she is straddling her and then leans back in capturing Emma's mouth with her own once again.

Emma smiles into their kiss as she moves her hands up the sides of Regina's thigh grabbing onto her hips. Emma pulls Regina in, as close as she is able to, wrapping her arms around her. She slowly inches her hands higher up Regina's back as she kisses her and when she slips her hands underneath the flannel top it makes Regina flinch and pull away from her, laughing. "Ahhh, why are your hands so cold?!"

Emma immediately misses their closeness. She laughs timidly as she brings her hands up to her mouth blowing into them to warm herself. "Sorry, my hands get clammy when I'm nervous."

This makes Regina's heart swell. "Aww, you have no reason to be nervous. I mean, technically, we've already slept together." Regina winks and it makes Emma's heart beat even more rapidly. Then Regina takes Emma's hands and rubs them in her own until they feel warmer. Lacing their fingers together, she pulls them to her lips gently kissing Emma's knuckles. "Mmm, that's better." She looks down at Emma to see the woman staring at her. She smiles shyly and leans in to kiss Emma again.

Kissing Emma, Regina decides, feels so good and she wishes she had not waited so long to make the first move. When they end the kiss, she once again looks down at Emma to see that they blonde seems dazed like her mind is elsewhere. She puts her hand on Emma's cheek and asks, slightly worried, "What are you thinking about?"

Emma thinks about how surreal everything feels right now. The two of them are here, in Regina's home on Christmas Eve. She has the beautiful brunette sitting on top of her. Everything about Regina is currently overwhelming every single one of her senses and all she knows is that she does not want this moment to end. Emma cannot believe that she has waited so long to tell Regina how she really feels about her. She finally comes out of her daze when she feels Regina's hand on her face. She answers Regina's question without even really hearing it. "You have no idea how much I've wanted this. To be here with you. I really should have told you that a long time ago. I'm sorry."

Regina smiles. "I was just thinking the same thing. I think that we are both to blame for that one." They sit there silently taking each other in for awhile until unexpectedly, Regina frowns. "I really have to finish packing because I need to leave here early in the morning." She leans into Emma and lays her head on her shoulder, hiding her face in Emma's neck and taking in the scent of her skin. She wishes that she could stay in this spot all night. She pulls away after a minute to look at Emma again. She hesitates for a moment before shyly asking, "Would you maybe want to stay here with me tonight?"

The question surprises Emma only because of all the times that she has stayed over, this is the only time she has not invited herself. "I...uh...really? You want me to stay?"

"Only if you want to, I won't force you to." Regina says as she is desperately hoping that Emma will agree even though she is trying not to sound too desperate for it. "I just thought that we could spend some time together since I won't see you for the next week or so. We could maybe watch a movie or something. But I know that it's Christmas Eve and you probably have other things to tend to. We can always just wait until I get back."

Emma is beaming. "Hey…" She says trying to get Regina's attention. She loves that Regina rambles sometimes when she is nervous and thinks that it is one of the most endearing things about her. "I'd like that a lot. But I know how you are with movies. You'll be asleep before we even get to the good part." She teases.

"Well, we don't have to watch a movie… I'm sure that we can find other things to do." Regina says smiling.

Emma's mouth goes dry at the implication causing her to stammer as she replies. "Um, yes. I, uh, sure." Regina laughs and squeezes her hand which calms her a bit. When her head clears, she remembers Regina's gift that is still in her car. "But first, I need to go grab something from the car. It should only take me ten minutes or so." Regina looks at Emma with a questioning look so Emma scrunches her face and adds, "I parked pretty far away. And at the bottom of the hill."

"Oh, okay." Regina responds. "Do you need to go get it now?"

Emma considers it for a second. "I really should because I have a feeling that I'm not going to want to get out of bed to go get it in the morning."

Regina is curious but decides not to ask. "Alright. Just hurry back to me?"

"Of course." Emma says smiling.

Even though Regina really does not want to move, she removes herself from Emma's lap.

Emma gets up and walks towards the door but before she actually gets there, she turns back around, quickly makes her way back to where Regina is standing, and pulls her in for a another quick peck on the lips. Regina wraps her arms around Emma as she smiles into their kiss and Emma squeezes her tightly. "I'll be right back, Beautiful."

Regina barely manages a nod as Emma takes off out the door. She sits back down on the sofa again, still smiling uncontrollably. She brings her hand up to her chest and can feel her heart racing but for the first time in a long time, she lets it all back in.


	23. Twenty-Three - When The Walls Come Down

***Author's Note: So, here we are, two chapters away from the end! And, I should warn you, because of this particular chapter, the story will have to be changed from suitable for general audiences to a M-rated one. Please be kind because I have never written anything like this before-I know that it could use some work. As always, I very much appreciate comments. ***

When Emma gets back to Regina's apartment, she finds her in the bedroom pulling out several wrapped gifts that she has sitting in her closet. Regina puts the packages into large bags and sets them aside, making sure they are in a visible spot so she will not forget to take them with her in the morning. When she sees Emma in the doorway, she smiles and reaches out her hand.

Emma takes it and lets Regina pull her over to where the bed is. They both sit down as Regina takes Emma's other hand as well, rubbing them in her own. Emma smiles as she scoots herself closer to Regina so that their thighs are touching. She gently pulls one of her hands away and reaches up to tuck a loose curl behind Regina's ear. When Regina turns her face back towards her, Emma frowns. "Have I told you already how sorry I am for being such an asshole to you this past week?"

Regina smiles. "Yes. And I also recall you telling me that you will make it up to me."

Emma chuckles. "I did say that, yes." She takes both of Regina's hands again. "And I am willing to spend as long as it takes making it up to you."

"Mmm, I will keep that in mind. But, right now, I really need to finish up this packing. So, you will need to stay here, on the bed, and try not to be too much of a distraction until I'm done."

"I can do that." Emma says as she nods happily.

Regina gets up and retrieves an overnight bag that she has tucked away on a shelf in her closet. She starts by finding a few pairs of jeans from her dresser and rolling them up. Then she pulls out some blouses, a few comfortable sweaters, and some pajamas and adds them to the bag as well. When she looks over at Emma, she sees her pulling off the hoodie that she is wearing. Then Regina watches as she lays back with her arms behind her head.

Regina smiles. "Emma, you have one job and that was to try not to be such a distraction."

"But I'm not trying to be a distraction! I'm just laying here." Emma says feigning innocence. "You told me to stay on the bed until you are done."

"I didn't say anything about stripping." Regina says.

Emma shrugs, then smirks. "We'll it is hot in here."

"And getting hotter, it seems." Regina says before getting on the bed herself and crawling towards Emma.

Emma smiles widely and sits up just as Regina is leaning into her for a kiss. She pulls Regina on top of her again so that they are in the same position as they were on the couch just earlier. Only this time, Emma hands are already nice and warmed up. She puts them on Regina's waist pulling her closer as they continue kissing. After a while their kissing slows and Regina sucks lightly on Emma's lower lip before pulling away.

"So much for you not being a distraction." Regina says teasingly.

"Why don't you just finish packing in the morning. I can help you." Emma offers with her arms still around Regina.

Regina lays her head onto Emma's shoulder and mumbles a long string of words into her neck.

Emma laughs. "What?"

She pulls back and looks Emma in the eyes. "I said, I don't think that I will be able to drive away from you in the morning if I don't have everything packed already."

Emma notes the sad expression on Regina's face and sighs. "This is exactly why I'm going to hate myself for a very long time for being such an idiot all week. I've wasted so much of our time."

Regina looks thoughtful for a second and does not respond. Instead, she swings her leg back around so that she is no longer sitting in Emma's lap. She pushes herself to the edge of the bed and wordlessly gets up, taking her overnight bag into her bathroom so that she can gather all of her toiletries.

Emma frowns. She walks into the bathroom to find Regina packing a spare toothbrush and some hair products into her bag. "Hey...did I say something wrong?"

"No, you didn't. I was just thinking that I should really try and get this done. And I can't be in the same room with you and actually get anything accomplished because you are making everything so foggy."

"Foggy in a bad way?" Emma asks hesitantly, all of a sudden feeling very self conscious.

Regina sighs as she is pulling out her hair dryer and straightening iron. Without looking up, she replies, "I don't know, just foggy, Emma." She knows that it comes out harsher than she intends so she turns to look at Emma and bites down on her lip. "The last time I felt this way, I got my heart broken in the worst way. I'm just a bit wary, that's all. It's not you, I promise."

"Maybe I should just go…" Emma says.

Not expecting that response, Regina reaches out and grabs ahold of Emma's hand. "Please don't. I want you here. Really. Just give me another ten minutes or so and maybe we can talk about everything."

Emma forces a smiles, but she is still very concerned that she has screwed things up. "Okay. I'll just wait for you in the living room then."

Regina leans over and kisses Emma on the cheek. "Thank you."

Regina finishes up her packing and moves her things along with all the bags filled with the wrapped gifts into the dining room area. She set most of it on or around the dining room table, making sure everything that she will need to take with her is ready to be loaded into the car. When she is done, she walks over to the sofa and sits down next to Emma. "Hey…"

Emma, who has been sitting quietly with a million things running through her mind, does not notice that Regina is next to her until she hears her speaking. She looks up and smiles. "Hey, did you get everything packed?" She asks.

"Yes." Regina says as she nods to confirm.

"That's good." Emma says awkwardly.

They sit in silence for what seems like a long time. Then Regina speaks again. "Have I managed to scare you away from this already?"

Emma is genuinely surprised by Regina's question because for the last twenty minutes or so, all she can think about is how she may being scaring Regina off. "What? No. I was thinking that I may have spooked you."

Regina shakes her head. "No, not at all. I may have just been overthinking it myself." She takes Emma's hand. "I'm so sorry about earlier." Regina takes a moment to reorganize her thoughts before she continues. "You are so important to me and I don't want to screw this up. Right now, that is my biggest fear. Because, I don't want to lose you…" She trails off.

Emma looks at Regina and sees for the first time since they met, unmasked fear and vulnerability. "Regina, you will never lose me. Even if you tell me tomorrow morning that you've had a change of heart, I can promise you that I won't go anywhere. Truthfully, I'd be pretty heartbroken, and I might be M.I.A for a little while but I am done running."

Regina smiles at that. "I am not going to have a change of heart any time soon."

Emma laughs nervously. "Well, that's definitely reassuring."

"Come with me. Let's go into the bedroom." Regina gets up and reaches out her hand for Emma to take.

Emma starts to get up but pauses. "Do you want me to move the TV so we can watch a movie or something?"

"Is that what you want to do? Because I do have some other activities in mind." Regina smirks.

Emma's eyes widen as she quickly takes Regina's hand making her laugh. Emma laces their fingers together and lets Regina pull her towards the bedroom.

They barely make it past the doorway when Emma stops and pulls Regina into her arms. They stand there looking at each other longingly until Emma breaks the silence. "So, this is going to sound very random but I was thinking about when I call my family tomorrow to wish everyone a Merry Christmas, they will probably ask me what I've been up to."

Regina nods unsure of what Emma is really trying to say. "I'm sure that they will. Our loved ones tend to do that on occasion." The thought of having to see her own family tomorrow is something that she always has to mentally prepare herself for as well.

"Well…so, I was wondering, considering everything that's already happened tonight, how accurate would it be if I told them that my hot boss is now my actually my girlfriend?"

This makes Regina laugh and her face instantly turns red. She lays her head onto Emma's shoulder so that she can hide her face when she replies. "I'd say that it's pretty accurate. If that is what you want to tell them."

Emma is beaming when she pulls her neck back so she can see Regina's face. "Yeah?"

Regina just nods still smiling. Then she pulls away from Emma and gets onto the bed. She reaches over to turn the lamp on her nightstand on, and instructs Emma to flip the switch for the main light. She pats the spot next to her on the bed and Emma gladly jumps on and crawls over. Regina turns towards Emma and puts her hand on Emma's thigh, slowly moving it up her body and onto her stomach which is still covered by a thin tank top, all the while, she never looks away from Emma's piercing green eyes.

Regina plays with the hem of Emma's shirt for a moment but eventually slides her hand underneath it feeling Emma's warm skin and she can feel Emma quivering at her touch. She urges Emma to lay back as her hand moves higher up Emma's torso. Regina leans down and captures Emma's lips with her own as they kiss slowly. "Mmm…" She hums into Emma's mouth.

Emma reaches for Regina, desperately wanting to feel her skin again and she, too, slides her hand into the front of Regina's top feeling the muscles in her stomach constrict to her touch. She continues to move her hands up Regina's body, slowly rubbing on her rib cage until she reaches her right breast. When Emma's palm softly grazes the nipple, Regina moans louder into her mouth.

Regina then frantically reaches into her own shirt and takes Emma's hand slowly guiding it over to her other breast, her more sensitive one. Emma sits back up and lays Regina slowly onto her back as she starts kissing down her neck. She takes her time, not wanting to rush any of her movements, as she is really loving the feeling of her lips on Regina's skin.

Emma pulls her hand from underneath Regina's shirt and hears the woman whimper discontentedly. Then she sits back so that she can look down at Regina who is currently breathing heavily with her face flush and lips swollen.

Emma takes off her tank top revealing a lacy, dark purple bra. She discards the top by tossing it somewhere onto the ground behind her. Then she runs her hands over the front of Regina's flannel pajama top, playing with the buttons, silently requesting permission. Regina nods and begins unbuttoning from the top as Emma starts from the bottom. When they finally meet in the middle and Regina's top falls open, Emma bites down on her bottom lip as she takes in the sight of the beautiful woman lying before her. "Wow…"

Regina blushes. "I think that you have too much clothes on. It's hardly fair." She says to Emma, her voice small and unsure.

Emma chuckles and extends her arm behind herself and undoing her bra in one fluid motion. She lets it fall and tosses it behind her where it joins the tank top that she discarded just moments earlier.

Neither of them makes a move until Regina sits up slowly and puts her hand lightly on Emma's neck, her fingers making lazy circles there. "Emma, I..."

Emma notes the slight awkwardness in the air which is only reinforced by the uncertainty and hesitation in Regina's voice. "Hey, I hope you know that I don't have any expectations for anything to happen between us tonight. The most important thing is that I get to spend Christmas morning with you." Emma says as she smiles reassuringly.

Regina nods. "I know that you don't."

"But, you look so unsure." Emma says with her brow furrowed.

Regina smirks. "Well, I'm just really torn because I really want to push you down onto the bed and attack every inch of you with my mouth. But, I also don't want this to be just about sex. And believe me, I want you and I want the sex. Badly. But, Emma, you mean so much more to me than that."

Emma nods feeling a little dazed by Regina's admission. "Why don't we just lay down in the covers together and see where that takes us?" She reaches over and starts buttoning up Regina's shirt before stretching herself off of the bed to find her tank top. She pulls away the covers on the bed and slides herself into bed. "Come here." She says with her arms outstretched to Regina who is looking over at her adoringly.

Once they are both laying in bed, Emma turns her body and props herself up on one arm and Regina turns so that she is facing her. "Hey there, Gorgeous." Emma says.

Regina smiles. "Flatterer." She says as she moves herself closer pulling Emma's body down towards her own so that she can nestle up against her. Emma puts an arm around her and kisses the top of her head. They are both quiet for a moment and while Regina begins absentmindedly playing with Emma's hair. "Can I ask you a question?" She looks up at Emma waiting for her answer.

"Of course. You can ask me anything." Emma says.

"When exactly did you realize that you had feelings for me?" Regina asks curiously.

Emma smiles. "I don't know if there is an exact moment. There were probably several moments."

"Like?" Regina urges Emma to continue.

Emma laughs. "Like...when you told me about Danielle and I realized for the first time that there was even a small possibility that you could be interested. Or when you came mattress shopping with me and helped me pick out furniture." She pauses thoughtfully. "But, I guess if I really had to choose one specific moment, my favorite one was when we had the sleepover that very first time. When I woke up next to you in the morning, you had your arm around me and I knew that I had it bad because I really had to force myself to get out of bed."

"Did I really have my arm around you?" Regina asks skeptically.

"Ohhh yeah. You were spooning me! Actually you had your hand underneath my shirt and you were rubbing my stomach." Emma says laughing at the memory.

Regina laughs because she remembers the sound of her alarm interrupting her very vividly erotic dream about the blonde that morning. "Hmm. Well, that actually makes a lot of sense now."

Emma raises her eyebrow. "What? Why?"

"Not anything that you have to worry about." Regina says with a playful smile.

"Hmm." Emma really wants to kiss Regina until they are both out of air but knows that she should really behave herself. Instead, she just pokes her playfully. "I'll get it out of you eventually."

Regina just shakes her head with a smile while they go back to a comfortable silence. "So, do you ever wonder when it was that I realized I had romantic feelings for you?"

Emma thinks about it for a moment. "I guess I am actually pretty curious because I've always felt like you've been more annoyed with me than anything else. For most of the time we've known each other you've been a bit hot and cold."

"That's not true! Even if you can be pretty annoying." Regina says playfully.

Emma pouts her lips and frowns dramatically. " And that's not true."

Regina sees the pout on Emma's face and her heart instantly tightens. "Aww, baby…" She kisses Emma softly. "I think it is safe to say that right now, I don't find you the least bit annoying. So please smile for me."

Emma beams. "Call me 'baby' again, and I probably won't be able to stop smiling for the rest of the night."

Regina chuckles. "Emma, my baby…" She says as she touches Emma's face.

Emma bites down on her lower lip again so that she can stop herself from just jumping on top of Regina. Then she takes a deep breath. "So, you still haven't said. When did you realize you like me, huh?"

"I think it was when you told me that very first time that you liked it when my hair was natural. And then you stole my flat iron." Regina laughs. "Who does that?"

"I just really wanted to be alone with you again." Emma says. "Also, that was the same morning that I realized that I was head over heels for you. I couldn't stop myself from saying or doing anything stupid at that point."

Regina shakes her head. "You're so impossible! And also, I'm positive that whatever I was feeling that morning was confirmed on Halloween when you came waltzing into the bar in the tightest, most seductive dress that I have ever seen on anyone." Regina recalls how beautiful Emma was that night. "I wanted to throttle that man when he put his arm around you."

Emma laughs. "You know what, you berating that guy was the hottest thing I've ever seen you do."

After their laughter subsides, Regina is still looking at Emma. wondering what she is going to do for the next week without her. She sighs.

Emma raises an eyebrow. "That doesn't sound good."

"This is going to sound so needy but I find myself missing you already and I haven't even left yet." Regina says.

"I will be as annoying as possible and call and text you like crazy all week so you won't have a chance to miss me." Emma says even though she feels exactly the same way.

Regina smiles. It has taken every ounce of willpower that she possesses to not act on her desire for Emma and she thinks that it is just about time to give up. So, she leans in for another kiss, only this time she does not pull away so quickly.

Emma eventually has to be the one to stop them. "Mmmm, I'm going to have to take a very cold shower if you keep kissing me like that."

Regina raises an eyebrow. "Is that so?"

Emma chuckles. "Well, I'm only human." She sighs. "And the most beautiful woman I know is in bed with me, her mouth tastes like heaven…" Emma trails off a little embarrassed but she sees that Regina is staring at her waiting for her to finish her sentence.

"And?" Regina adds curiously.

"And I don't want you to feel any pressure just because I'm all hot and bothered-"

Regina cuts her off with another kiss. "Emma…" She kisses her again. "What would you do…" And another kiss. "If I told you…" And another. "That I'm very hot…and very bothered too?"

Emma groans. "I'd say we'd probably both need to take a cold shower. And separately."

Regina smiles, her face still barely an inch away from Emma's. "Well, I say that we take care of this part first and we can discuss the shower arrangements later."

Emma feels like her heart about to beat out of her chest but she eventually manages to catch her breath. She tries to form words but is unable to speak.

Regina subconsciously licks her lips before she removes the covers from around them. She maneuvers herself so that she is able to reach the waistline of Emma's jeans and plays with the waistband for a moment. She touches the button with her fingers and looks to see that Emma is staring down at her hands. So, when Emma does not protest, she unzips and unbuttons them. Emma helps her slide them off and Regina takes them tossing them to the ground. She does the same with her own pajama bottoms before she is sitting on top of Emma.

Emma watches while she slowly unbuttons her top again, her green eyes focused on Regina's brown ones. When Regina is done, she pushes the shirt off of her shoulders and tosses it away also. Emma's breath hitches when Regina slides her hands beneath her shirt touching her stomach and her breasts before she pulls them back out to grab the hem of the tank top so that she can remove it. The second Emma's shirt is gone, Regina's mouth is on hers.

They kiss until they are out of breath and that is when Emma puts both of her hands underneath Regina's bottom and lifts her off of her lap and onto the bed. She gently urges Regina to lay back before she starts kissing her again. She moves from her face down to her neck, paying extra attention to a particular sensitive spot that she remembers from earlier in the evening. Then she kisses her way down Regina's body, her hand continuously on one of Regina's breast while she kisses and sucks the other. By the time, she has made it to her stomach, Regina is panting and out of breath.

"Emma…."

Emma lifts her head slowly to meet Regina's eyes. "Is this still okay?" She asks.

Regina smiles lazily and touches her fingertips to Emma's face. "I promise that this is so much more than okay, baby."

Emma smiles and kisses lower on Regina's stomach. She stays there for a moment, breathing in the scent of Regina's arousal. She looks up again to see Regina biting down on her bottom lip in anticipation so with both hands, she pulls at the waistband of Regina's panties. Regina lifts herself and Emma is able to slide it off of her legs, flinging it onto the ground.

Regina watches while Emma parts her legs and starts kissing the inside of her thighs, the warmth of Emma's kisses suddenly making her very dizzy. She looks over again to see Emma situating herself between her legs and before she can say anything, she feels Emma's mouth on her. She gives a stifled moan of pleasure and looks to see Emma smiling smugly.

Then Emma pulls Regina closer to her and runs her tongue up and down Regina's slit a few times before she focuses on her clit. "God Regina...you taste so good…"

Hearing that makes Regina want even more of Emma's mouth so she brings her hands up to Emma's head and tangles her fingers into the blonde's curls holding her where she needs her to concentrate her tongue. "Em-ma, That feels so good. But, I need you…inside me."

Emma, not one to disappoint, gently touches her fingers around Regina's opening as she continues to lick and suck on her clit. Regina is slick with wetness and Emma is enjoying every drop of it. She slowly inserts one finger finally feeling how very warm Regina is.

Regina moans loudly. "Auhhhhhemma. More."

Emma gladly inserts a second finger, sliding it in and out, slowly at first but once she feels Regina has adjusted, she pumps into her faster making sure to curl her fingers so that she can hit just the right spot. When Regina's breaths get more frantic she applies a bit more pressure with her tongue.

"Oh god, baby, I'm so close… " Regina removes one of her hands from Emma's head, pressing it onto her own stomach. She can feel herself get closer with every movement of Emma's tongue. When her orgasm finally hits her, instantaneous and hard, she arches her back up and off of the bed while squeezing her thighs together clenching onto Emma's head. "Emmmma!"

When Emma feels Regina loosen the grip she has on both her hair and her face, she uses the flat of her tongue to clean her up while also trying to slowly bring Regina down from her climax. When she is completely satisfied, she lifts her face to see that Regina is looking at her.

Regina lazily reaches for Emma with both hands and Emma gets up and crawls towards her. Regina does not hesitate before she pulls Emma down to her for a kiss. She is still very much aroused and being able to taste herself on Emma's mouth excites her even more. She pulls herself up as she pushes Emma down onto her back. Then she smiles seductively. "My turn."

"Yes, ma'am." Emma replies happily.

Regina mimics Emma's earlier motions and kisses her way down Emma's body. Unlike Emma, however, she is too impatient to do any teasing. She slides Emma's panties off right away so that she can position herself between Emma's legs. In a matter of seconds, she is eagerly lapping at Emma's folds. "Mmm…" Regina moans.

They stay in that position for awhile, Regina hungrily attacking Emma's center, until Emma stops her with a gentle shift in her body. "I really want you up here." Emma says shyly, her face flushed and her hair a mess, as she motions for Regina to get on top of her.

Regina smiles and moves over to her. As requested, Regina straddles Emma and without pause, she lowers herself, grinding her wet center against Emma's which elicits a few very colorful curse words from the blonde and makes Regina chuckle.

Emma moves her hands up Regina's torso and finds her breasts, playing with them, while Regina continues to rub herself against Emma slowly. When Regina starts to speed up her gliding motion, Emma moves her hands to Regina's hips trying to help her to create more friction. "Uhhh…this feels so good, Regina." Emma says before she focuses her eyes back to REgina's. "Will you come for me again?"

Regina is biting down on her lower lip and finds it very difficult to string any words together so she just nods and continues to ride down on Emma harder.

Emma moves one of her hands to Regina's breasts again squeezing and rubbing her nipples until it eventually sends Regina over the edge. She cries out Emma's name again and again as her body starts trembling with pleasure. Just the sight and sound of Regina's moans is all Emma needs to reach her own very intense climax.

Regina is laying on top of Emma as her orgasm begins to subside and is enveloped in Emma's strong arms.

It takes Emma a few moments longer to ride hers out especially since Regina is still gliding her hips back and forth on top of her, clearly still really enjoying the sensation. When she finally catches her breath, she sees Regina looking at her dreamily. Emma just smiles and pushes some of Regina's hair from her face. "Hi, there."

Regina laughs, her voice hoarse and scratchy. She pushes herself up so that she can see Emma's face a little better. "That...was very hot."

Emma smiles up at Regina, her heart still racing, and when she finds her voice again, it is soft and meek. "Yes, it was. You are so incredibly beautiful, you know that?"

Regina does not reply but instead, leans in and kisses Emma again. When they part, she reluctantly pulls herself off of Emma, reaches to turn off the light, and lays down next to her. It takes only a short few seconds before Emma is pulling Regina close to her and tangling their limbs together. Regina sighs contently with Emma's arms wrapped around her as they both fall into a peaceful sleep.


	24. Twenty-Four - Where We Belong

***Author's Note: I want to thank everyone for much for putting up with all the nonsense that was my very first attempt at writing a story. If you're reading this, it means that we have finished the journey together. Thank you for reading and for leaving comments. It really means the world to me because I really, really enjoyed writing this story. I guess the only thing that I have left to say is Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and I wish you a very happy New Year filled with everything that you could ever wish for.***

Regina stirs when she feels the warmth she was getting from Emma's body leave the bed. She blinks a few times and pushes herself up onto her elbows and sees that the light from behind the closed bathroom door is turned on. She lays back down and smiles to herself. It has been some time since she has shared a bed so intimately with another person and she had almost forgotten how nice that feeling is.

When Emma finishes up in the bathroom and makes her way back to bed, Regina pulls her naked body into her own. Regina nuzzles the spot right under her jaw and leaves soft kisses on her neck. Emma hums softly. "A girl can most definitely get used to this." She pulls away just enough so that she can see Regina's face and smiles at her. "Hi."

Regina returns the smile. "Hey there, my pretty girl." Then she lays her head back down onto Emma's shoulders.

"Did I wake you?" Emma asks. Regina just shakes her head. They lay that way for a bit longer before Emma speaks up again. "What time do you have to leave here in the morning?" She asks.

Regina has been dreading this conversation all night. "I was planning on leaving at seven-ish. But, I guess that depends on you." She says as she pulls herself away from Emma and lays down on her pillow once again facing her instead.

Emma repositions herself so that she is lying in the same position opposite Regina. She can see into Regina's eyes this way and their faces are just a few inches apart. "Why does that depend on me?" Emma asks somewhat dumbfounded.

Regina thinks about her answer for a minute and when she finally replies, Emma can hear the mix of emotions in her voice. "I suppose that it doesn't. Not really. What time do you plan on leaving for New York in the morning?"

Suddenly Emma remembers that she had asked Regina for the time off to go back to New York but she is not going to need it. She chuckles without replying right away but when she sees the confused look on Regina's face, she says, "I think that I'm going to stay here for the holidays."

Regina frowns still very much confused. "You are? But, I thought-"

"That was just something that I planned to do because I thought that it would give me some space away from you. But now, I don't need or want any space." She reaches over, puts her hand on Regina's lower back, and pulls the woman closer to her touching their foreheads together. "I was running." Emma says barely above a whisper.

Regina pulls away and studies Emma for a moment before she leans in and captures her mouth with her own. She hopes that the kiss will reassure Emma, erasing any doubt or uneasiness that she might still have in her mind. Once she pulls away, she sees that Emma's eyes are closed but she is smiling. When Regina waits for Emma to open her eyes again before she speaks again. "I'm very happy to hear that you're going to be here when I get back. There isn't anyone else that I would rather see after spending Christmas with my family. I was honestly worried that you wouldn't be here and that feeling was so awful." She adds a pouty lip at the end of her statement for effect.

Emma lightly kisses her protruded lip.. "I'm sorry that I made you feel that way. I probably should have mentioned earlier that I wanted to spend as much time as I can here with you. Speaking of that…" She leans over to look at the clock on the nightstand. It was just a little after four in the morning. "Merry Christmas." Emma says.

Regina smiles. "Merry Christmas, Emma." She says sweetly.

"I'll have to say, this is the best Christmas morning I've ever had in my life. You with your kisses, and this bed, basically just booted Christmas 1991 down to 2nd place." Emma replies with a big grin.

Regina laughs. "Wow. Do I even want to know what happened during Christmas of 1991?"

"The Super Nintendo came out that year." Emma says matter-of-factly. "And my dad got it for me. My parents always let me open one gift on Christmas Eve and I happened to pick that one. I stayed up all night playing Super Mario Bros. that year."

Regina rolls her eyes. "Well, I'm surprised that there was anything in this world that can top that." She says playfully.

"I didn't think so either until now." Emma says with a smirk and then reaches over to brush a stray curl away from Regina's face. "But, you, Regina Mills, are the best Christmas gift that anyone could ever hope to receive. And I mean it. I find myself hoping that I don't fall asleep again because I don't want to wake up and find that any of this has just been a dream."

"To be completely honest, that thought has crossed my mind as well. It's like everything seems too perfect to be true." Regina says.

"Well, if we don't fall asleep again then we don't have to worry about that, right?" Emma jokes.

Regina laughs. "I am actually wide awake right now. I think I'm still on a high from earlier and I'll have to get up in a couple of hours anyway. I may as well just stay up."

"I have an idea." Emma says as she gets out of bed. She looks around for some clothing. She puts on her underwear and then looks around in the dark for her tank top.

Regina sits up and pulls the covers up with her. "If this idea of yours requires you to put your clothing back on, I'm going to have to veto it."

Emma laughs but finally finds her tank top underneath Regina's pajamas that were also discarded earlier in the evening, and puts it on. "I promise that I'll let you take them back off of me here in a second." She winks at Regina before leaving the room. Emma returns quickly with a beautifully wrapped gift and an envelope. She sits back in bed and turns on the lamp. Regina looks at her curiously so she shrugs nervously. "I got you a present."

"Emma...Is this what you went to the car for earlier?" Regina asks.

"Yeah." Emma says as she pushes the gift box towards Regina. "You should probably open the gift first and then read the card." She adds.

Regina does not respond but instead, she gets out of bed and walks towards her closet. Unlike Emma, she does not bother to put any of her clothes on. She slides the closet door open and pulls out a large wrapped box with a intricate ribbon bow on it. She turns to see Emma staring hungrily at her naked body and smirks before quickly making her way back to the bed and sliding under the covers. "I got you something as well." Regina says as she hands the gift to Emma.

"Whoa...what? You didn't have to get me anything." Emma stammers.

"I could say the same to you." Regina says with a smile. "But the moment I laid eyes on that," she points at the box, "I couldn't talk myself out of getting it for you."

Emma blushes. "Hmmm...Now, I'm really curious. But, you have to open yours first."

Regina laughs "Alright." She unwraps the box that Emma gave her and opens it to find a few different vinyl records. One of them is the one that she was going to get when they were at the bookstore together weeks ago. She looks up and smiles at Emma. "I love them, Emma. And I don't have any of these ones."

Emma grins proudly. "Yeah, it took me going through your stuff a few times before I knew what I should get. You have such a huge collection already so you're pretty difficult to shop for.."

Regina bites down on her lower lip before leaning in and kissing Emma. "Thank you. You're so thoughtful."

Emma happily nods towards the envelope. "There's something in there also."

Regina wonders what it could be so she opens the envelope and pulls out the card. When she opens it, a folded piece of paper falls out. She opens up the sheet of paper and laughs. It is the I.O.U that she wrote out for Emma months ago. Then she reads the card:

 _Regina,_

 _Firstly, I want to say Merry Christmas. I hope that you have a wonderful time with your family and that you are finally able to have that difficult conversation with them. They deserve the truth and you deserve your peace. And I will always just be a phone call away should you need someone to talk to._

 _Second, thank you for taking me into your bar and into you life. Your friendship has truly become a very important part of me and I would never be able to express just how much you mean to me._

 _And finally, I thought that I should probably return this to you. If it is something that really makes you that uncomfortable, I really should respect that. However, my opinion will always remain the same. Hair straightened or not, you are perfect just the way you are. I really hope that you take that to heart._

 _With love,_

 _Emma_

When Regina looks up from the card, her eyes are glistening with unshed tears and this makes Emma panic. "Oh, no. Regina, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean for anything that I wrote to make you upset."

Regina shakes her head and wipes at her eyes. "No, baby. It's not that at all. I'm just very touched by it. You're so incredibly sweet. I love the card." Regina puts the gift box and card aside and scoots herself closer to Emma. She takes Emma's face with both hands and kisses her hoping to convey how much all of it meant to her. They do not break away from each other until they are both breathless. Regina reaches for the I.O.U again and hands it back to Emma. "I do think you should keep this though. Not that you'll ever have to use it since I have a feeling you'll be seeing my bed head quite a bit, but it will always remind you of that moment when you swept me off of my feet."

Emma laughs "I did, didn't I?" She asks proudly.

"Mhmm. You really did." Regina confirms as she kisses Emma again. "Now, you open your gift."

Emma nods and takes the box into her lap. "Even your wrapping job is perfect. Do you ever half-ass anything in your life, woman?" Emma says playfully before she starts undoing the beautiful ribbon wrapped around the box. When she finally gets the ribbon and the wrapping paper off, she slides the box open to find the that it is the black, vegan-leather jacket that she had tried on at the mall when they were shopping. Her eyes widen in surprise. "Oh my god, Regina. I can't take this." She says as she pushes the box back towards Regina.

Regina tilts her head and looks pointedly at Emma. "That's silly. Of course you can."

"This is a very expensive gift. You really shouldn't have gotten this for me…" Emma says still shaking her head.

Regina notices that Emma is looking down at the gift still in shock and she shakes her head as well. "Emma, will you look at me please?" It takes her a second but Emma finally looks up at her with a frown. "I really want you to have this jacket. No girlfriend of mine is going to walk around in this weather without something that covers her up. I don't want you to get sick. Will you please just accept my gift? Please don't make me beg."

Emma sighs. "You're going to play the girlfriend card? Really?" As much as Emma hates to admit it, hearing Regina say that gives her butterflies in her stomach.

Regina smiles. "You bet I am. Especially if it is going to work in my favor."

Emma finally agrees with a little bit more coaxing. "Fine. But only because I like both you and this jacket a lot. Thank you for this amazing gift. And I mean it. I really, really love it."

Regina smiles widely. "You're very welcome."

They clean up the mess they made with all the gift wrap and boxes and spend the rest of the morning tangled in each other once more. As promised, Emma lets Regina remove all of her clothes again just so she can feel the warmth of Emma's body against her own.

When it is finally time to get out of bed, Regina convinces Emma to take a shower with her promising that it will be a quick one. Fortunately for the both of them, it was Emma who could not keep her hands to herself and it ends up being a much longer shower than either one of them had anticipated.

Once they are all cleaned up, Emma makes coffee and a quick breakfast for them while Regina gets ready for Christmas morning at her parents' house. Emma finally checks her phone for the first time since she arrived at Regina's apartment the evening before and finds over a dozen messages from Ruby, a few from Killian, and a missed call from home. She sends a reply to Ruby wishing her a Merry Christmas but also telling her that she will call her as soon as she is free because she has really good news regarding her situation with Regina. She also sends Killian a message thanking him again for talking some sense into her and asks if they can hang out later if he does not already have plans. She gets replies from both of them almost instantaneously asking for details of her evening which makes her smile happily.

After Regina has had her cup of coffee and a piece of toast, she fills a travel tumbler with more coffee for the road and her three-hour drive. Then Emma helps her to the car with all the bags that she has already packed.

When they finish packing the car, Regina closes the hatch and turns to see Emma looking down at the ground with her hands in her pockets, rocking back and forth on her heels. "Hey…" Regina says as she pulls one of Emma's hands out of the pocket and intertwines their fingers. "Is something wrong?"

Emma looks up and just shrugs. "I know it's only going to be a few days...but I'm really going to miss you."

Regina smiles sadly. "It will be a very quick few days. I will be back in your arms in no time at all." Regina says, also as a reminder for herself because she is finding that it is getting more and more difficult to drive away from Emma. "But, I am really going to miss you, too." She pulls Emma into a hug and lays with her head on Emma's shoulder. "And have I mentioned already that I'm really, really glad that you're not going back to New York? When you called that day asking me for time off, I thought that I had lost you for good." Regina says softly into Emma's neck.

Emma kisses Regina's temple. She thinks about how she almost missed out on all this time with Regina because she was so certain that things would not work out. She also thinks about how going back to New York was not one of her best ideas because of how unhappy she was when she was there. "I don't know if I ever told you this but, I've never really felt like I belonged in New York. I never would have stayed permanently if I did go back." Emma says.

Regina knows that feeling all too well. Never feeling like she really belonged in Vancouver and the struggle of having to really find herself and a new passion once she moved to Seattle. She looks up at Emma. "So, is that how you feel about Seattle, too?" She asks slightly afraid of what Emma's answer might be.

Emma smiles as she looks down at Regina. For the first time in a long time, she does not feel the urge to run. And even though she does not know for sure yet what that means, she is willing to stick around to hopefully find out. "I don't think so. Right now, I feel like the only place I belong is wherever you are."

Regina lets out the breath she is holding and grins widely at Emma's response. "That's a very good answer, Miss Swan."

Emma chuckles and scrunches her face at the nickname before pulling Regina in for another long but slow kiss goodbye, one that they both hope will get them through their next few days apart.


End file.
